MRRN: Volume 1
by WinterWolf29
Summary: After gaining entry into Beacon, a skilled newcomer becomes the leader of Team MRRN. Now he must deal with his growing feelings for a girl, the bullying of an arrogant student and the responsibilities of leadership. His teammates include his cocky cousin, a calm and stoic Tiger Faunus, and a rebellious fighter, all with hurting secrets from their pasts.
1. Brown and Red

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 1: Brown and Red**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Mathdon Kendrick was different from most people at the age of 17 for one simple reason: his Asperger's. He could sometimes hear things that most would ignore and see things that others would not…but all of this was against his will. This made him socially awkward at times, which often irritated him to no end.

As he grew up, he got better with people as well as a warrior, mostly in part to the training he received from Glaucus Viisaus, or as others called him, Glaucus the Grey, and Forest Kotka, who were well known as two of the best Huntsmen combatants in Vale.

For four years, he was trained under them, turning into a master swordsman and skilled martial artist. It wasn't easy for Mathdon, but he had managed to make it.

He was walking down the streets of Vale to see his mentor, wearing his usual brown leather jacket aligned with brown fur with the emblem of a bear on the back and his sheathed sword, Claiomh Solais, strapped over his shoulder and a brown metal gauntlet on his left arm. Sadly, on his way, he caught sight of Aurum Academy, one of the local combat schools in Vale. The sight of it alone brought bad memories to Math.

When he was 13, he enrolled in the Academy, but was immediately subjected to cruel bullying for his Asperger's and weight at the time, which was often ignored by the Headmaster. Finally, after nine weeks, Math and one of the bullies got into a fight; even though the bully started it, Math was falsely held responsible for the fight and expelled from the Academy.

He shook the memories out of his head, accidentally messing up his short dark brown hair a little and knocked on his mentor's home door. It opened to reveal a middle-aged man with gray hair, a beard much thicker than Mathdon's, and wore only gray and white clothing.

"Hello," Math greeted. "I'm here like you asked. What's our lesson today?" Glaucus reached out and put his hand on Math's shoulder.

"You're ready," he replied. "After today, you'll have no need for my training." Math raised an eyebrow in surprise to what his mentor had just claimed.

"Have no need for your training?" he asked. "It's because of training with you and Forest that I'm here today." Glaucus smiled warmly at his pupil.

"You're here because you had the patience and discipline to make it," he replied. "It will also be those qualities that will allow to go to Beacon." Math lowered his head, hiding his brown eyes from Glaucus's blue.

"I got expelled from combat school," he reminded his mentor. "Professor Ozpin would never let me in."

"You were expelled for an incident that you did not start," Glaucus reminded as well. "The Headmaster knew too well that you did not start the fight and yet held you completely responsible…because he didn't have faith in you. Forget him." Math nodded his head in reply.

"That's why today's your final lesson. Today, I've arranged a match between you and four of Aurum's best students." Math's eyes went wide in surprise.

"What?" he gasped. "I know I'm a skilled warrior, but-"

"But those four didn't receive the training you did," Glaucus interrupted. "That's why I'm confident you can beat them." Math sighed and looked his mentor in the eye, showing his determination.

"Let's do this, then," he replied.

It didn't take long for the two of them to arrive at Aurum Academy, a place Math hoped he'd never go to again. As they walked through the halls, Math could see the stares of many students who he had known in his first year, some judgmental, some sympathetic. Some of them wanted to spew insults at him, but they didn't want to earn Glaucus's anger, which could scare even the strongest of Huntsmen into submission.

As the two approached the doors leading to the Combat Ring, Glaucus walked away and started walking up a flight of stairs.

"Where are you going?" Math asked his mentor.

"This is your match, not mine," Glaucus responded. "I'm just a watcher for this." Math turned his attention back to the door, exhaled to get rid of his nervous thoughts, and opened the doors.

As he walked through, he could see many students and faculty sitting in the benchers, unsure of how to feel about them. When he faced forward, he saw the four graduates he was up against; one was a tall male with a halberd, the next had shock gauntlets, the third had an axe and the fourth…was one of the bullies who had tormented Math years ago.

"You're who I'm up against?" he taunted and then laughed. "This is going to be easy. Once a loser, always a loser." Only a few students laughed at the bully's words, but stares from Glaucus immediately prompted them to silence.

"Mathdon Kendrick," a faculty member announced. "You will be fighting Lennox Amber, Onyx Black, Yuri Conway, and-"

"Me!" the bully announced, completely ignoring how rude and arrogant he was. "Jason Currant, the best student in Aurum!"

"That remains to be seen," Math claimed as he unsheathed Claiomh Solais and protracted the blade, which was a little over three feet long and four inches wide. The foot-long hilt allowed it to be used as a one or two-handed sword and a short mechanical piece was added between the blade and short crossguard. Two of its most distinguishable features was the emblem near the crossguard, which was an exact copy of the bear symbol on Math's jacket as well as the ring pommel.

"That's it?" Jason taunted once more as he swung his spear. "This is going to be too easy."

"Man, I want to punch that guy in the face," a friendly face snarled, one belonging to Robin Kendrick, Mathdon's cousin. He had messy red hair, green eyes, and had a slender build, contrasting to Math's broad-shouldered and barrel-chested physique. His attire consisted of a white dress shirt with a red tie, a black long coat, slacks and shoes. He stood at a height of 6'2, only two inches over Math's height. Unlike Math, Robin was chosen to stay at Aurum, but chose to attend a different school after becoming disgusted by how his cousin was treated.

"Let the match…begin!" the faculty member announced. Immediately, the gauntlet fighter threw punches at Math, who blocked the attacks with an object that suddenly appeared on his left arm, which was his retractable round shield, Dionach. He found an opportunity to knock the fighter back and deal a powerful blow to his stomach, his yellow aura shimmering from the impact.

From behind, the fighter with the halberd brought his weapon down on Math, but he brought up Dionach, blocking the weapon. Jason then rushed at him in an attempt to take out Math. The swordsman knocked the halberd aside and deflected the speedy blows of Jason's spear. The halberd wielder joined in the fray, but as his attacks were easily deflected and blocked by Claiomh Solais and Dionach.

"Well, what did I say?" Glaucus told a figure hiding from sight, but still watching the match.

"His fighting is very impressive," the man replied. "However, I believe our agreement was 'if' he won the match…and it's not over yet."

"It will be," Glaucus assured. "If Mathdon can handle the Grimm we've encountered, he can handle these four."

Math knocked the spear out of Jason's hands with his shield and punched him in the stomach, making him tumble to the floor. He then deflected the halberd, punched the wielder's stomach, and sliced at his legs. He fell to the ground, his Aura completely gone.

"One down!" Robin called out. "Three more to go, man! Take them out!"

The fighter with the axe swung wildly at Math, but was blocked by Claiomh Solais or Dionach. The one with the shock gauntlets got back into the fight, kicking at Math's head. He raised his shield and threw the gauntlet user into the axe wielder, knocking them both to the floor. The gauntlet user quickly rose up and charged at Math; the swordsman threw his arm back and delivered a powerful punch to the gauntlet user, delivering severe damage to his Aura.

"I'm not losing to some stupid fat kid!" Jason snarled as he twirled his spear and struck at Math. He deflected every speedy attack from Jason's spear and delivered a powerful blow from Dionach to Jason's face, sending him flying into the wall. Even though his Aura was not fully depleted, it was too low for him to continue fighting. He snarled as he watched Math continue fighting the other two students.

The gauntlet user returned to the fight, throwing punches and kicks at Math, who managed to deflect them with swings of Claiomh Solais or Dionach. The axe user attacked from behind, but Math dodged by leaping forward and recovering onto his feet. As soon as he did, he struck the axe wielder's legs, knocking him to the ground and finished him with a strong blow to his back with Dionach, completely depleting his Aura.

"Three down!" Robin called out. "Come on, Math! Kick their asses!"

"Mr. Kendrick!" one of the faculty members reprimanded. Robin ignored him, knowing him as one of the teachers who had shown no faith in his cousin.

The gauntlet user kept attacking; Math kept blocking and deflecting them until he found an opportunity to deliver two punches with his shield. He then retracted Dionach and gripped Claiomh Solais's hilt tight with both hands; as he did, the blade glowed with brown light and he swung with all his might, sending a brown shockwave into his opponent and completely depleting his Aura.

The overheard monitors showed:

AURA

Jason Currant- 19/100

Lennox Amber- 0/100

Onyx Black- 0/100

Yuri Conway- 0/100

Mathdon Kendrick- 95/100

"Yeah!" Robin cheered as many other students followed suit. Math stood there alone in the Combat Ring, surrounded by four of Aurum's best fighters; all whom he had managed to defeat singlehandedly and only lose a small part of Aura for a finishing attack. This shocked Math to his core, trying to believe that he had done what he thought he couldn't.

"Mathdon Kendrick is the winner!" the announcer stated. As Math walked out of the Combat Ring as he became overwhelmed by the loud noise, he could hear someone running up to him.

"Yeah, man!" Robin cheered as he hugged his cousin, who immediately returned the embrace. "You kicked their asses! You did awesome out there!" Math chuckled.

"I honestly didn't know if I could do it," he admitted.

"Well, you did," Glaucus spoke as he approached his apprentice. "With that, you have no further need for my training." Math's smile started to dissolve from the news.

"I don't know where to go from here," he admitted.

"How about Beacon Academy?" another voice asked. Math and Robin turned to see a tall man with silvery-gray hair, lighter than Glaucus's, black spectacles, and in black and green clothing.

"Beacon?" Math asked. "That's one of the most prestigious schools in Remnant. But, sir…"

"Glaucus told me the circumstances around the incident that led to your expulsion," the man informed. "What they did was unacceptable and I do not hold you at fault."

"Thanks," Math replied. "So how would I be able to convince Beacon's Headmaster to let me in?"

"Because I'm the Headmaster," he answered. Math's eyes went wide open in surprise, finally realizing who he was talking to.

"Professor Ozpin?" he asked. "Not to sound rude or anything, but what brought you here?"

"I convinced him to watch your match," Glaucus explained.

"I have to say, Math, I am very impressed," Ozpin admitted. "To take on four of Aurum's best fighters and win." He chuckled. "Why should I be surprised? Any apprentice of Glaucus and Forest is sure to be a skilled fighter." Math looked over at his mentor.

"Does he…?"

"He already told me," Ozpin interrupted. The autistic swordsman showed a scowl of nervousness at the information.

"And it doesn't bother you?" Math asked.

"We would never judge you for such a thing," he assured. "Before I leave today, I'm going to speak with the Aurum Headmaster about this. But before I do…" He reached into his vest and pulled out an application form, handing it to Math.

"If you wish to attend Beacon, then have this filled out soon," Ozpin instructed. "I think it would be truly a waste to not give you this opportunity."

Math didn't know what to say; ever since he was wrongfully kicked out of Aurum and started training with Glaucus, he never even suspected that Beacon's Headmaster would personally come to him and ask him to attend his school.

"I'll get this filled out," Math replied excitedly, prompting Ozpin to smile. Math and Robin walked out of the school after saying their goodbyes to Glaucus and Ozpin, but just as they walked out of the door, they started cheering.

"Yeah!" Robin cheered as he wrapped his arm around his cousin. "We're going to Beacon together!"

"WOOOOOOO!" Math cheered as well. Glaucus and Ozpin chuckled as the two young men celebrated.

-0-

When Mathdon returned home, he relayed the news to his mother, Corcra Kendrick. She, along with Robin's parents, Anrydd and Gwyn, were very excited to hear about Ozpin giving Math a chance to enter Beacon Academy. They celebrated by taking them to Monty's, a family-favorite restaurant.

As demanded, Math filled out his application and turned it into Ozpin. This left Math and Robin the rest of the summer to train and prepare themselves for Beacon.

One day, while the two were training together at Robin's house, he stopped for a minute. He examined his cousin and could immediately see something was on his mind.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I was just thinking, man," Math replied. "About people at Beacon finding out about my Asperger's. If things had been different, then I wouldn't be nervous about letting people know. But…what if someone finds out and I go through the same thing again?"

"Ozpin isn't the Aurum Headmaster," Robin assured. "He's made it pretty clear that he won't judge you for your Asperger's. If he did, he wouldn't have given you that application. Plus, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't let you go through that."

"Yeah, I hope," Math answered.

"Besides, I can barely tell you have Asperger's anymore," Robin pointed out. "Glaucus and Forest had you work on your social skills during your training. From what I can see, they did a good job."

"Thanks, man," Math replied. "So, are you looking forward to going to Beacon?"

"Of course I am," Robin answered. "Who knows? I could end up with a smoking hot girlfriend. I mean, I am a chick magnet." Math raised an eyebrow.

"You're more like a chick repellant," he joked. "So I'll have to keep my distance from you when we get to Beacon." Robin glared over at his cousin…then they laughed.

"I'm just kidding!" Math said when they were done laughing. "I'm pretty sure you'll have yourself a pretty nice girlfriend after a while." Robin walked over to Math and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll find one too," he assured. "Let's get back to practice. I still need to work on my close combat skills." Robin pulled out his bow and transformed it into a sword for combat.

Unlike Math's sword, Claiomh Solais, which was made for strong and powerful attacks, Robin's weapon, Sharp Shot, in its sword form was made for quick attacks, dealing multiple blows in a minute.

His accessory linked to Sharp Shot's arrows was a gauntlet on his left forearm. It had at least six different colors, each one linked to a specific type of Dust Chamber at the bottom of the quiver on his back. This allowed him to choose which type of Dust Arrow he pulled from the quiver, though the Dust could be rotated by pressing a button on the side of his ring finger. For two final additions, the gauntlet had a grappling shot and the quiver had his symbol adorned on it: a bird with its wings connected by a drawn back string like a bow.

"Let's do this!" Math replied as they sparred again.

-0-

The summer passed and it was time. Mathdon had packed everything he needed for his departure to Beacon Academy, where he would learn to become a professional Huntsman. After he had placed everything in the trunk of Corcra's car, he was about to pack their weapons.

"You ready?" his mother asked, a middle-aged woman with auburn hair and purple eyes.

"Very nervous, but I'm ready," he answered as he placed Claiomh Solais in the back seat.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have been there," Corcra apologized. "I would've loved to see the looks on their faces."

"It's okay," Math replied. "I know you had work at Dawn Academy."

"If Glaucus and Forest hadn't trained you, I would've tried to get you into there," Corcra explained. "But luckily, things will change at Aurum Academy." She looked over to her son, who has an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Didn't you hear?" she asked. "The old Headmaster there was fired after Professor Ozpin dug more into how he ran Aurum Academy. Good riddance." A jingling noise was heard as a large brown dog rushed into the garage, wearing a blue collar and whimpering at Mathdon.

"Do we want to bring Siocled with us?" he asked as he petted the dog.

"You'd have to put Claiomh Solais in the trunk," she answered. Without hesitation, Math put his weapon in the trunk to make room for his dog.

"Math," Corcra started as she put her hand on her son's shoulder. "I am very proud of how far you've come. I know that what happened at Aurum was very hard on you…and I'm sorry you had to treated so unfairly. But now, you're going to Beacon Academy to become a Huntsman just like I was."

"I never thought it'd happen," Math admitted. "I'm just so happy Ozpin's willing to give me a chance."

"I'm happy too," Corcra agreed. "However, that doesn't mean things will get easier. They'll get harder and you need to be able to keep up with everything."

"I know, Mom," he replied. "I'll do my best. I'll make you proud." She hugged him and he returned the embrace.

"You already have," she replied. "Now let's get going. Anrydd is sure to have dropped off Robin at the platform." They both got into the car and drove off into the city.

It took them about ten minutes before they reached the platform, which was already filled with young people waiting for the ship to come to Beacon. They unpacked Mathdon's belongings while making sure Siocled stayed in the car so she wouldn't run off for any reason.

"Is that everything?" Corcra asked. Math replied with a yes as he closed the trunk of the car.

"One day, we've got to teach you how to drive," she brought up to her son. She walked over to him and hugged him.

"I'm proud of how far you have come," she praised. "But things will only get harder from here. These next four years will test you to your limits; maybe even beyond that. But I know you can handle it. Work hard and look after yourself." As they pulled away, Math opened the back door and petted Siocled's ears.

"I'll see you later, girl," he said goodbye to Siocled. She looked at him with 'puppy eyes', but Math quickly closed the door before he could feel tempted to stay another day.

"Take care," Corcra said as she got into the car and backed away. She rolled down her window and waved goodbye to her son before she drove away. Math took his belongings and walked to the platform, but was stopped when someone grabbed his shoulders.

"Mathdon!" Robin cheered as he looked at his cousin with a smile. "Glad you made it."

"Glad to be here," he replied as they went looking for a place to sit. As they were about to, the archer caught sight of some 'lonely' girls.

"Well, Math, time to talk to some ladies!" Robin smirked as he spotted a pair of beautiful girls.

"Robin, don't," Math protested. "They may already have boyfriends."

"Don't know until you try," he dismissed as he walked cockily towards the two young women. Math sighed at Robin's incorrigible flirting and sat down on one of the benches. He turned his attention over to his right, examining and taking in the sights of multiple people. As he was about to look back over at his cousin, a male walked away and revealed to Math the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

She had long red hair tied back into a ponytail, emerald eyes, and was somewhat tall compared to the other girls present, standing at Math's height perhaps. Her attire mostly consisted of a sash, a brown corset, long gloves, and bronze greaves with high-heel boots.

Math lost track of everything else around him; he was focused completely on the beauty far from him. He snapped out of his trance and looked around to see if anyone was coming to her, but everyone seemed to keep their distance.

He exhaled to ease his nervousness, stood up from the bench and walked over to the red-haired beauty. He slowed down a few times to think over what he'd say to her, knowing he wasn't always the best with words. When he was close enough, he walked up to her.

"Hello," he greeted, immediately grabbing her attention.

"Hello," she replied with a smile.

"You heading to Beacon too?" he asked.

"Yes, I was accepted into the Academy," she answered. "You're going as well?"

"I am," he replied. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Not at all," she answered. Math walked over a little and sat down next to her.

"My name's Mathdon by the way," he introduced himself. "Mathdon Kendrick."

"I'm Pyrrha," she responded. "Pyrrha Nikos."

"That's a beautiful name," Math complimented, making her blush a little.

"Thank you," she replied. The autistic swordsman looked around and noticed that a lot of people were still avoiding her. He thought about asking her, but decided against it.

"Have you ever been to Beacon before?" Math asked her.

"No, I haven't," she answered. "I've only heard things about the Academy, but I'm really looking forward to it. What about you?"

"Honestly, I'm nervous," Math answered before he tried to think of something funny to say. "Isn't it funny that I don't find fighting Grimm scary, but going to the Academy makes me a nervous wreck?" Pyrrha giggled at his humor.

"Well, it is a big step," she acknowledged. "We've all trained for this and now we're here."

"We are," he agreed. "What about you? Are you nervous?"

"A little," Pyrrha admitted. "I don't really know anyone here, so I don't have any friends right now." Math smiled warmly at her.

"I can be one if you want," he offered. The redhead looked over to him and returned her own smile.

"Thank you," she answered. "That's very kind of you to offer." Before their conversation could continue, a loud slap was heard, followed by "You stupid idiot!" The person slapped was none other than Robin, who had a print of a red hand on his cheek, despite his Aura being active. Math sighed and facepalmed.

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked, hearing the loud slap. "Do you know him?"

"He's my cousin," Math responded. "And unfortunately, he thinks he's a ladies' man."

"So let me know when I can get your number," Robin asked the girl who had just slapped him. The two girls stuck up their noses and walked away from him.

"I underline think," Math explained, making Pyrrha giggle once more. Robin walked over to the bench where he thought his cousin was, but raised an eyebrow when he was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm over here, Robin!" Math called out to his cousin. The archer walked over to him, but before getting too close, he smirked as he caught sight of the redhaired beauty next to him. He held up his hands and walked back over to his own bench, obviously telling Math "Not going to interrupt."

"So, are you from Vale?" Math asked Pyrrha, who shook her head.

"No, I'm from Mistral," she asked.

"Really?" Math asked with immense interest. "I've always wanted to see Mistral. My sister goes there…I'm green with envy for her." Pyrrha laughed at Math's exaggerated jealousy.

"What's it like there?" he asked.

"It's beautiful," Pyrrha replied. "There's so many different cultures in that city. The sights there…they're just breathtaking."

"Now I'm really jealous of my sister," he admitted. Their conversation went on for a minute more until the airship that would take them to Beacon arrived. Everyone was grabbing their belongings and preparing to board the vessel.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Pyrrha," Math said as he got up from the bench. "I hope we can talk again soon."

"Well, why don't you come onto the airship with me?" Pyrrha suggested as she gathered her weapons.

"I have to get my stuff," Math answered. "I also have to make sure my cousin doesn't flirt with the wrong girls."

"Then I'll see you on the ship," she replied as she waved at him and walked away. Math blushed a little, though he was careful to hide it from the redhead who just stolen his heart. He approached his cousin and picked up his baggage, but noticed Robin smirking at him.

"What?" he asked. His fair-haired cousin looked over to Pyrrha and shook his cousin's shoulder.

"That girl's a beauty, eh?" Robin complimented. "Good job, man. However, let me give you a few-"

"Is one of your tips 'flirt with her relentlessly'?" Math interrupted. "Didn't you just get slapped in the face for doing that?"

"Math, there's a difference between flirting gone bad and a girl just not appreciating effort," Robin dismissed. "Now let's go before that ship takes off." The two young men hurried onto the ship with the other students and found a comfortable spot to put their belongings before the area filled up.

Once the ship took off, everyone started talking again. Math scanned the area for Pyrrha, hoping to see her, but no luck. He was too busy looking for her that he didn't notice Robin walk over to a pair of girls and started flirting with them. He sighed as he scratched his beard and shook his head.

"Geez, Robin, you're never going to stop flirting, are you?" he wondered. He leaned against the wall and sighed, shaking his legs.

"Hello, Math," Pyrrha greeted. He looked over to see the same redhaired beauty from before walking up to him.

"Hi, Pyrrha," Math responded. Pyrrha noticed the obvious look of discomfort on Math's face.

"Are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern in her tone.

"I'm not comfortable in close crowds like this," he confessed. "That's why I'm trying to keep my distance."

"You didn't seem to keep your distance from me," Pyrrha brought up. Math's eyes looked over to the left, trying to hide some the embarrassment from the truth in Pyrrha's words.

"I don't mind being around people," Math explained. "It's just crowds that I'm not comfortable with."

"So you're a bit of a loner?" Pyrrha asked.

"You could say that," he agreed. "What about you? You don't seem bothered by crowds."

"I participated in a good number of fighting tournaments back in Mistral," Pyrrha replied as she stood next to Math. "When you spend that much time in tournaments, you get used to crowds."

"How many tournaments did you participate in?" Math asked.

"A good number of them, but the most prominent was the Mistral Regional Tournament," she answered. "I entered every year at Sanctum Academy…" she seemed to hesitate for a minute.

"Did you win any of those years?" Math asked. He noticed the expression on Pyrrha's face seemed to be one of surprise, but he didn't understand why she seemed that way.

"I don't wish to sound arrogant, but I won all four years," she answered. The warrior's eyes opened wide in response.

"You won the tournament four years in a row?" Math asked. "Wow, you must a hell of a fighter to accomplish something like that."

"Thank you," she responded. "Have you ever participated in any tournaments here in Vale?" Math shook his head in response.

"I was more focused on my training for my martial skills," he answered. "I learned martial arts and swordsmanship under my mentors. Martial arts, I can hold my own, but my best skill is with the sword."

"Who were your mentors?" Pyrrha asked.

"Glaucus Viisaus and Forest Kotka," Math answered. "They were known as some of the best combatants to graduate from Beacon Academy. At first, I trained with Glaucus specifically, but then I met Forest and he helped me as well. I didn't do well at first, but I think I came out alright."

"If you made it to Beacon, you did more than okay," Pyrrha complimented, giving Math a sweet smile that was making his heart melt.

The flight to Beacon wasn't too long; a projection of Glynda Goodwitch welcomed the students to the Academy. Some people, including Mathdon and Robin, rushed over to the windows to gaze in amazement of the school. The two young men were excited to start their new lives as Huntsmen at the prestigious Academy.


	2. White

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 2: White**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

The airship opened onto the platform, allowing the students to step off and take in the full view of Beacon Academy. Mathdon and Robin quickly got off the ship, but the brown-themed warrior stopped and waited for Pyrrha to hopefully catch up with him if she hadn't already gotten off.

"Are you waiting for her?" Robin asked his cousin, smirking playfully.

"No, no…I'm just making sure everyone gets off alright," Math denied, though his cousin could easily tell he was lying.

"Come on," he insisted. "Don't lie. You like her."

"Just because I enjoy having a conversation with her doesn't mean I like her that way," Math once again denied. "Let's go. She's probably gotten off." He then walked away with Robin behind him, heading to the Amphitheater.

"I always did find redheads to be very attractive," Robin brought up as they were walking through the courtyard.

"Shut up," Math demanded.

"Green eyes…whoo! Green eyes are too beautiful to resist," Robin exclaimed, still getting on Math's nerves.

"You have green eyes too," Math brought up. "Except you're too easy to resist."

"Hey!" Robin called out as he playfully punched Math's arm. After walking for a while, the flirtatious archer noticed a girl with shades, dark brown hair, a beret, and walked with confidence.

"Duty calls," Robin said as he walked over to her. Math rolled his eyes at his cousin's incorrigible flirting. As he left, Math looked to his left and right, hoping to see Pyrrha, but she was nowhere to be seen. However, he did hear something that immediately caught his attention.

"Please leave me alone," a Tiger Faunus sternly demanded towards another student. The Tiger Faunus had wild white hair with some black streaks, along with a thin mustache and beard, blue eyes, and white tiger ears on top of his head. He stood about two inches shorter than Math with a well-muscled build, wearing a red and white robe with a black vest and a shoulder guard with the symbol of a white flaming tiger. His obvious weapons were two metal gauntlets on his arms, each with five claws on the knuckles and fingertips with Dust Chambers on the wrists.

"I don't have to listen to you, freak," the other person insulted. He was a little taller than Math with dirty blonde hair and golden eyes. He wore more refined clothes, such as a gold-colored dress shirt and black slacks and dress shoes. On his shirt bore the symbol of a large, broad D, most possibly his symbol.

"I don't want trouble," the White Tiger Faunus replied as he tried to walk away. However, the student reached out and grabbed one of his ears, pulling on it.

"All you Faunus are trouble," he laughed as he continued pulling on his ear.

"Hey!" Math called out, approaching them. "Leave him alone!" The blonde-haired guy let go of the Faunus's ear and walked up to Math, glaring down at him.

"Who do you think you are, talking to ME like that?" he snarled. Math frowned, refusing to back down from him.

"Who exactly are you?" he demanded to know, his hands clenching into fists. The gold-theme male laughed mockingly towards the autistic warrior.

"I'm Gaspar Dorado, only the best Huntsman here in Beacon," he gloated. "And anyone who thinks different is either stupid or doesn't know the truth yet."

"The truth that you're a racist ass?" Math insulted. Gaspar's condescending smile quickly became one of anger, clenching his fists.

"You want to fight?" the Dorado snarled. "Trust me, I'll have you-" Before he could finish, a flat palm hit him in the head, knocking him out cold. He fell to the ground, revealing the Tiger Faunus with a smile on his face.

"I could've taken him, but I appreciate the help," he greeted.

"You're welcome," Math replied. "Name's Mathdon, by the way. Mathdon Kendrick, but people call me Math."

"I'm Ruo-Jian Bai Hu, but people call me Ruo. It's good to meet a friendly face after seeing an ugly one." Math chuckled at Ruo-Jian's insult towards Gaspar.

"Are you a first year here too?" Math asked the Tiger Faunus, who nodded his head in reply.

"I am," Ruo-Jian replied. "I just got here from Mistral." Math's eyes widened.

"You're from Mistral?" he asked. "Man, you're lucky. I've always wanted to go there."

"Mistral is beautiful indeed," Ruo-Jian smiled. "If you wanted to go there, you could've applied for Haven." Math turned away from the Tiger Faunus for a minute until he looked back at him.

"I just chose to come to Beacon instead," he claimed. "It's my home, after all." While he was smiling on the outside, Math was somewhat mad on the inside; he was lucky to even get an application from Ozpin, knowing full well that he was wrongfully expelled from Aurum. As grateful as he was for this opportunity, it still didn't get rid of the mad feeling inside him.

"Fair enough," Ruo-Jian replied. "All of the first-years are gathering in the Amphitheater for instructions from Professor Ozpin. Perhaps we could go there together?" Math nodded in response.

"It'd be nice to have another friend who doesn't flirt around so much," he replied. The silence was immediately broken by the sound of a loud slap and a yelp of pain. Math rolled his eyes and facepalmed as he knew or, at least, suspected who had been slapped.

"Damnit, Robin," he growled.

"Robin?" Ruo-Jian asked, leaning forward. "Who's that?"

"My cousin…and my friend who flirts around so much," he answered. "I'm not even going to bother. Let's go." Math gathered his belongings and walked with his new acquaintance to the Amphitheater.

Once they got there, the two stayed out of the crowd and started talking about each other; their weapons, their home kingdoms, and anything that came to mind. However, Math was cautious to avoid the topic about previous academies; there was no telling what could happen if people found out that Ozpin had let an expelled student enter one of the most prestigious academies in Remnant.

At times, the loudness of the crowd got to Math as he tried to keep his attention on Ruo-Jian. Sadly, one of the symptoms of his Asperger's was sensitivity to sound, which is why he tried to stay away from loud crowds when possible. However, since Ozpin had requested they be gathered in the Amphitheater, he didn't have a choice.

"Mathdon!" a female voice called out. Math turned his head to see Pyrrha approaching him, waving as she came closer.

"Hey, Pyrrha," Math replied, smiling at her.

"Hello," she greeted again. "How are you doing? I was hoping to catch you after we got off."

"I was looking a bit for you, but then I met Ruo-Jian and we started talking," he explained. "I think you got off before I did."

"I think I did so too," Pyrrha agreed. "There were a lot of people on that airship." She looked around a little to see if his cousin was nearby, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"I thought you were with your cousin," she brought up.

"He said 'duty called'," Math answered. "If you heard a loud slap earlier outside, that was probably him." He shook his head in annoyance at his cousin's constant flirting.

"He's a big flirt, isn't he?" Pyrrha asked.

"Oh, you have no idea," Math answered. Pyrrha looked over to the Tiger Faunus who Math was talking to and waved, saying "Hello."

"Hello," Ruo-Jian replied. "I'm Ruo-Jian Bai Hu, but people call me Ruo. Pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha."

"You, as well," she reciprocated. Before their conversation continued, Math caught sight of his cousin in the crowd. As suspected, he had a red hand mark on his left cheek, but that didn't hinder him from having his usual cocky smirk.

"Oh, geez," Math sighed. Ruo-Jian and Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at him, who pointed their gaze to his cousin.

"That's your cousin?" Ruo-Jian asked.

"Yes," Math answered. "Man, he just never learns." Ozpin's voice called the students to attention.

 _"You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills,"_ Ozpin started. _"And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."_

Ozpin walked away from the mike and Goodwitch stepped up. She informed the students of the initiation tomorrow and were to sleep in the ballroom for the night. When all was said and done, Robin saw his cousin and walked over to him.

"Hey, Math," he greeted. He could see the obvious lack of enthusiasm in his scowl with his gaze narrowing on the red hand mark on his cheek.

"Let me guess…she had a boyfriend?" Math asked.

"No," Robin replied. "I did one wrong thing and she got mad at me for it." Mathdon sighed in disbelief at his cousin's flirting.

The rest of the day went by smoothly with Mathdon hanging out with Ruo-Jian while Pyrrha and Robin went off their own ways. Math expected his cousin to be all over Pyrrha, but instead, when they ran into him…

"So, Math," Robin started, smirking. "She's quite a hottie~"

"She is very beautiful," Math replied.

"You know, I've seen the way you look at her," he teased. "Admiring her gorgeous body now, aren't we?"

"Shut up!" Math chuckled, pushing his cousin away. "You're such a pervert!"

"What?" the redhead archer chuckled. "Are you saying she doesn't have a gorgeous body?"

"She does, but that's not-"

"If you want, I can give you a few pointers on how to…'get close' to her." Math turned to look at his cousin with an unimpressed scowl.

"The last time you heeded your own advice about girls, you got slapped…hard," Math brought up with a smirk. "Besides, you know I don't like her for-" He cut himself off before he could finish. Robin's smirk grew wider.

"You do like her!" he called out. "I knew it!"

"Shut up!" Math demanded, getting tired of his cousin's teasing.

"Denial's the clincher~" Robin teased. Before he could continue his teasing, he caught sight of a girl in a white combat skirt with snowy-colored hair, blue eyes and a rapier-like weapon on her belt.

"Looks like she's from Atlas," the red-haired male assumed as he slicked his hair back. "Time to defrost."

"That was a horrible quote," Ruo expressed. "Well, we should put our weapons away before we need to go to bed tonight."

"We've still hours before that happens," Robin replied cockily. "I've got myself a lady to charm, a job for a lady magnet."

"Let me know when you find one," Math responded before chuckling. Robin walked off to speak with the white-haired girl.

"Your cousin is quite a flirt," Ruo examined. "Forgive my bluntness, but he also seems very cocky."

"He is," Math assured as they started walking to the locker room. "Robin thinks he's Remnant's gift to girls, but…he's cocky, but he's like my brother." He held up three fingers.

"Three, two, one…" Nothing was heard.

"What do you know? Maybe he-"

SLAP!

"Never mind." Mathdon shook his head in annoyance at his cousin's flirting.

In a short time, the swordsman and Tiger Faunus reached the locker room to put away their weapons. Math put Claiomh Solais and Dionach in locker 357 while Ruo put his claw gauntlets, Huzhao, in locker 699.

Math stayed in the locker room for a little bit; there was hardly any noise and he enjoyed the lack of crowd noise that would sometimes overwhelm him. He relaxed for a little bit, listening to music on his Scroll; most notable, his favorite band, Voyage.

As he was about to leave, he caught sight of the same red-haired beauty who he was immediately infatuated with. She was putting her weapons away, which consisted of a xiphos and a shield. Math exhaled before walking up to her.

"Hey, Pyrrha," Math greeted. The redhead turned around and gave a warm smile to him, making his heart melt.

"Hello," she reciprocated. "I heard a loud slap earlier. Was that…?"

"It was," Math responded. "He decided to hit on some girl from Atlas. White hair, white clothing, wields a rapier weapon."

"That must be Weiss," Pyrrha informed as he closed her locker. Math raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who?" he asked.

"You've heard of the Schnee Dust Company, right?" the Amazon asked. Math nodded his head.

"They're the largest providers of Dust in Remnant," he answered. "They're stationed in Atlas-" He stopped after putting two and two together.

"That Weiss girl is from the Schnee family?" he asked.

"She is," Pyrrha answered. "From what I understand, she left Atlas so she could come here to Beacon."

"Well, she obviously doesn't like my cousin's 'master flirt tactics'," Math joked, making Pyrrha giggle. "Not surprising." He decided to change the subject.

"So, I've been hearing rumors about teams," he brought up. "What do you think?"

"Well, from what I understand, the teams will be comprised of four students each," she replied. "I think the teams will be assembled during the Initiation tomorrow."

"Do you have someone specific in mind who you'd like to be with?" Math asked.

"I plan on letting the chips fall where they may," she answered. "I do hope to be teamed up with good people."

"So do I," Math responded. "Maybe we could get teamed up if possible?"

"Sounds grand," Pyrrha answered. "We'll find out tomorrow." Mocking laughter was heard from behind Math. The two warriors looked to see Gaspar Dorado approaching them.

"Please," he chuckled. "Any woman as beautiful as you deserves to be with someone as prominent as me." He rudely pushed Math aside and approached Pyrrha, giving her an arrogant smile.

"And who are you?" the redhead asked, showing no interest in the young man.

"You don't know who I am?" Gaspar asked in disbelief. "Gaspar Dorado, heir to the Dorado Mining Company, based here in Vale." He drew closer to her, ignoring her scowl of discomfort.

"Hey, back off," Math told Gaspar, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from Pyrrha.

"Don't interrupt me," Gaspar demanded condescendingly. "Why would she want to team up with you when she can have someone like me?"

"Because HE doesn't condescend to others nor acts with arrogance," Pyrrha replied. "Leave me alone." The arrogant smirk on Gaspar's face quickly dropped to one of offense and anger.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do," he snarled in a threatening tone. As he reached to grab Pyrrha's arm, Math grabbed his first and threw him onto the floor.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the swordsman demanded to know. Gaspar got back up and unsheathed his weapon, resembling a gold rapier.

"You're dead!" he threatened before a voice shouting "Gaspar!" stopped a fight form happening. Everyone turned to see Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch standing there, glaring at the Dorado.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ozpin demanded to know. "Miss Nikos wished for you to leave her alone and then pull a weapon on another student."

"That's not what happened," Gaspar tried to lie, but Ozpin wouldn't have it.

"Mr. Dorado, here, your family name is just a name," Goodwitch informed. "Your name doesn't allow you to do whatever you want and simply walk away. You will abide by the rules here and you will not step out of line or there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

"Whatever," Gaspar dismissed as he sheathed his rapier.

"Mr. Dorado!" Ozpin barked at Gaspar. "To my office, now." Gaspar tried to protest, but Ozpin wouldn't hear it. The Dorado was forced to obey the Headmaster and leave the locker room to go to Ozpin's office.

-0-

After the incident in the locker room, Math took his laptop, found a place to sit down near a tree and started typing. He always found this soothing as it allowed him to often drown out the constant noises he would hear. If there was one thing he hated about his Asperger's, it was his sensitivity to sound as a lot of noise could easily overwhelm him.

For the most part, he just wrote short stories focusing on fantasy and adventure, but sometimes wrote a few things just to let out his negative emotions at times and would then delete them. This method had been suggested by someone who had helped him improve his social skills and it had been working ever since.

"Hello," Pyrrha greeted. Math looked over to the beautiful red-haired warrior and smiled at her.

"Hi, Pyrrha," he responded. She took a few steps towards him and pointed to the spot next to him.

"Is it okay if I sit here?" she asked. Math nodded and scooted over so she could sit down next to him under the tree's shade.

"What are you typing?" she asked with a curious tone.

"Just short stories," Math answered. "I do them to pass the time when…I have time." Pyrrha giggled at Math's awkwardness.

"What kind of stories?" Pyrrha asked once again.

"They're mostly fantasy and adventure," Math replied. "They're usually about 60 to 100 pages."

"60 to 100 pages?" the Amazon gasped. "That doesn't seem like much of a short story to me if I may be honest."

"Well, when it comes to any fighting scenes, I usually don't go into much detail so I can leave the fighting to my imagination," Math explained. "Other than that, I tend to be specific in my writing." Pyrrha looked at the laptop projector screen and read a little of what Math wrote.

"Do you share these with anyone?" she asked.

"Not really," the swordsman answered. "I often just write them for myself, to be honest."

"Well…if you're willing, do you mind if I read them sometime?" she asked. Math stopped typing and looked over at Pyrrha.

"You want to read my short stories?" he asked with a curious look on his face.

"If you're willing," the redhead repeated.

"Well…okay," he agreed, making Pyrrha give him that same warm smile that won him over. "If you have a laptop or something, I can copy and paste the files on it."

"I have one with my belongings, but I already put them away," she admitted. "After the Initiation tomorrow, could you do it?"

"Yeah," Math answered. "Actually, since I have my laptop out now, would you like to read a bit of one of the shorter ones?"

"That sounds lovely," she answered. The swordsman handed Pyrrha the laptop and clicked on one of his shorter stories. For a few good minutes, Pyrrha read silently to herself.

"What do you think so far?" Math asked, waiting for her response.

"I like it," she answered. "I really like the buildup of it and how you introduced the characters."

"Thanks," the autistic young man replied. "I'm not sure of what other people would think since I mostly make them for myself."

"Well, I'm sure I'll enjoy reading them," Pyrrha replied. "Do you actually mind if I continue?"

"No, not at all," Math answered. For a while, Pyrrha read Math's short story, enjoying it a lot, but pointing out grammatical errors that occasionally catch her eye. Overall, she enjoyed it and Math enjoyed spending time with her.

-0-

Night time rolled around and Mathdon was ready for bed. He had changed his normal attire for a plain white shirt and brown pajama pants, in contrast to most of the other guys who had gone shirtless, including his cousin. He was showing off his slim yet well-muscled body to several girls; only half of them were interested in his showing off. He walked up to his cousin and tapped his shoulder, immediately grabbing his attention.

"I've saved us two spots," he informed. "Come over when you're done."

"It'll be a while," Robin cockily replied. "Some of these girls-" He turned to see that Mathdon didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. The autistic swordsman walked over to his sleeping bad and laid down. He looked around a while, seeing guys wrestle with each other, two girls talking about what he heard 'Signal' and several other things. Deciding to mute out the noise, he put his earbuds in and started listening to music from his scroll.

After several minutes, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He removed his earbuds to see Ruo-Jian in his own sleepwear, consisting of a white t-shirt and black shorts.

"Do you mind if I sleep here?" he asked, pointing to the sleeping bag next to Math. Since it wasn't the one he saved for Robin, Math nodded his head and the Tiger Faunus settled into the bag.

"So what do you think of Miss Nikos?" Ruo asked the swordsman.

"She's very nice," he replied. "I like her."

"Like her as a girlfriend," Ruo stated. Math blushed and turned away from the Tiger Faunus.

"I didn't say that," he defended.

"No, but the way you look at her and you blushing right now says it all," Ruo-Jian informed. "The look you were giving her today was not the look of someone who wanted to be just friends."

"I barely know her," Math responded, hoping to make Ruo-Jian give up stating facts. "Why would I like her when I barely know her?"

"Every time you saw her, you would try and talk to her," the Tiger Faunus informed. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm stating facts." Math sighed.

"Well, are you looking forward to the Initiation tomorrow?" the swordsman asked, changing the topic.

"I'm prepared," Ruo answered, looking up at the ceiling. "I've trained years for this moment, to attend one of the most prestigious academies in Remnant." He turned over to look at Math. "What about you? Where'd you train?"

This was the question Mathdon was afraid of answering. Regardless of the circumstances, technically, Mathdon shouldn't have been allowed into Beacon because of his expulsion. He did his best to think up a satisfactory answer and replied.

"I don't want to talk about it. I…didn't exactly have a great four years there." Ruo sighed and turned his eyes back to the ceiling.

"I won't pry, then," he replied. Math sighed in relief that the Tiger Faunus would leave him alone.

"If you don't mind me asking, what made you come to Beacon instead of Haven?" Math asked, curious about why the Tiger Faunus would come to Beacon rather than stay in his homeland.

"I don't exactly have all of the best memories in Mistral," Ruo answered. "I'd like to leave it at that."

"Won't pry," Math replied. "So, have you heard about teams?"

"I have," Ruo answered. "They're supposed to be comprised of four students each. I can only hope I don't end up with Gaspar Dorado."

"Nor do I," Math agreed. "That guy's a prick…" The swordsman paused for a minute. "I hope get partnered up with maybe Robin, you…or even Pyrrha."

"You're making it more obvious, you know?" Ruo-Jian pointed out to Math's obvious feelings for the redhead. Math sighed and turned away from the Tiger Faunus. He caught sight of Pyrrha sitting on a sleeping bag, wearing a bronze colored pajama shirt and pants. When she looked over and made eye contact with Mathdon, she smiled and waved at him. Math did the same before turning back over to Ruo, who had a scowl that said 'so not impressed.'

"You're doing this to yourself," he stated. Math was about to put his earbuds back in until he heard someone land onto the sleeping bad next to him. Robin sighed and put his hands behind his head.

"You ready for tomorrow, bro?" Math asked his cousin.

"Sure am," he replied. "Here's to hoping we'll be on a team together."

"Look out, ladies and gentlemen," Math cheered. "Mathdon and Robin Kendrick are on their way!"

"Please be warned," Robin joked. "We are too hot to handle." The two laughed quietly before they decided to turn in for the night.

 _"I never thought I'd be here,"_ Math thought to himself. _"But I'm here. Thanks to both Glaucus and Forest, I'm here. I will become a great Huntsman. I will."_


	3. Green

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 3: Green**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Mathdon was awoken by constant tapping on his shoulder. He groaned and opened his eyes to his cousin with a smile.

"Let's go, man," Robin insisted. "The initiation will start in a few hours. We need to get ready." Math got up, tied up his sleeping bag, and went with his cousin and Ruo-Jian to get ready for the day.

While they were brushing their teeth, Math caught sight of Pyrrha washing her face and then putting on makeup. He felt Robin bump his arm and point towards her.

"Go say hi," he insisted. "She's right there." Mathdon exhaled and spat the toothpaste out of his mouth before walking over to the redhaired beauty. She saw him walking up to him, gave him her usual warm smile and said "Hello."

"Hello," Math responded. "You ready for the Initiation today?"

"I am," she answered. "And you?"

"Nervous, but ready. I just hope I get teamed up with good people."

"So do I." When she was done putting on her green eyeshadow, she looked away from the mirror and offered him a handshake.

"Do well out there," she said as Math shook her hand.

"You too." They smiled at each other before Pyrrha turned around and walked out of the washroom. Math turned around to see his cousin grinning cockily and Ruo-Jian's scowl saying 'You like her. Stop denying it.' Math sighed.

When they were done cleaning up, Mathdon, Robin and Ruo-Jian went to the cafeteria to have breakfast. Mathdon and Robin quickly got their plates full of eggs, pancakes and bacon and sat down at one of the tables. When Ruo-Jian came to them, his plate was three times larger than theirs, leaving them both shocked.

"And I thought I was a big eater," Math whispered to his cousin. "I don't remember the last time I had a plate that full."

"Neither do I," Robin whispered back. The Tiger Faunus sat down and began eating his massive pile of food. The two cousins snapped out of their thoughts and started having their own breakfasts.

"So, Ruo-Jian, Mathdon says you're from Mistral," Robin brought up. Ruo swallowed his food and nodded his head in reply.

"Yes. I was born and raised in Mistral, which is quite different from Vale, I must admit."

"How so?" Math asked, taking a bite of his bacon.

"Vale seems more modern, more…less dependent on nature," Ruo answered. "Mistral utilizes nature far more than Vale does. It influences its lifestyles, technology…if one thing united the people of Mistral together, it was their respect for nature."

"I was told by my mentor that Mistral has the most controlled territory in the world," Math brought up, sipping from his coffee.

"It's true," Ruo answered once more. "Mistral does indeed have the most controlled territory out of all the four kingdoms, but that also makes it harder to protect as well as maintain law and order as you get away from the main city."

"Harder to maintain law and order?" Robin asked.

"The Council's influence is strongest in the central city," the Tiger Faunus continued. "However, when you get closer to cities like Windpath and Kuchinashi, you'll find the people there to be more…or less likely to care about rules."

"Is that why Mistral has the biggest black market in Remnant?" Math asked.

"I wouldn't say it's the main reason, but it would definitely contribute to it," Ruo answered. He felt a tight tug on his left ear, yelping in pain. Math looked to see Gaspar with his usual arrogant and condescending smile.

"What do you want?" he demanded of the Dorado. "Why won't you leave him alone?"

"Because I don't have to," Gaspar mockingly replied. "Eating so much before Initiation? Typical savage behavior from Faunus-" As he reached for Ruo's plate, the Tiger Faunus ferociously grabbed his wrist and threw it to the side. He got up from the table and turned to face the Dorado.

"Do not push me, Gaspar," Ruo warned. "I've been patient with you, but if you continue this, I will fight back. Now leave." Just as he turned around, Gaspar violently pushed him onto the table. His food went all over the place, mostly covering Ruo.

"Ruo!" Math and Robin gasped as they stood up next to the Tiger Faunus. After making sure he was okay, Math then turned his attention to Gaspar.

"Who the hell do you think you are!?"

"I'm Gaspar Dorado, the best Huntsman in Beacon!" he growled. "If you don't know that yet, then maybe I should beat it into you!" Before a possible fight could ensue, the doors to the cafeteria burst open and Glynda Goodwitch walked in.

"What is going on here?" she demanded to know.

"This guy's trying to pick a fight with me for no reason!" Gaspar attempted to lie.

"That's not true!" Math objected. "Gaspar started bullying Ruo and then pushed him into the table just because he told him to stop bullying him!"

"It's true," another voice spoke up, belonging to Pyrrha Nikos. "Gaspar just started harassing him. Ruo tried to handle it peacefully, but then he just pushed him onto the table." Glynda glared over at the Dorado.

"Gaspar Dorado, come with me now," she demanded. Left with no choice, Gaspar followed Goodwitch out of the cafeteria, no doubt about to get what he deemed was a needless and unearned lecture on his behavior.

"You okay?" Math asked the Tiger Faunus, helping him to his feet.

"Well, at least we didn't get in trouble," Ruo pointed out as he stood up. "Well, I'll need to wash up again."

"I'll get you another plate," Math suggested as he walked over to where the food was.

-0-

After Ruo washed up again, got redressed and had breakfast, they retrieved their weapons from the locker room. As usual, Robin tried to hit on some of the girls, but was rebuffed…as usual.

 _"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately,"_ Goodwitch said over the intercom.

"It's time," Math told Robin and Ruo. "Let's do this!"

"Yeah!" Robin agreed.

All first-year students went to Beacon Cliff where they were instructed to stand on platforms with the Vale Symbol on them. Ozpin and Goodwitch stood in front, prepared to address the students.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors," Ozpin started. "Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Goodwitch took over. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion…Each of you will be given teammates. Today."

"Today?" Math whispered. "I hope I don't end up with Ass Dorado."

"Nice one," Robin whispered back.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin continued. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

"Bet, you wouldn't mind Pyrrha, huh?" Robin teased his cousin. Math looked over at him, his scowl saying "Shut your mouth, jerk."

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years," Ozpin continued.

Math and Robin looked at each other in nervousness to what Ozpin just said. They could make eye contact with anyone, including someone they despised.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path…or you will die."

"I'm prepared for this," Math assured himself. "Glaucus, Forest…you two have taught me well and I'm ready for this."

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and then return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"You ready for this?" Robin asked.

"I've faced stuff like this before," Math reminded his cousin. "Glaucus and Forest didn't take it easy on me just because of my…condition. " A loud 'whoosh' was heard, sending one of the students flying into the forest.

"Oh, boy," Math mumbled, not always fond of the idea of flying. When it was time for Robin's platform to launch him, he smirked at his cousin and got Sharp Shot out of his quiver.

"Wooooo!" he cheered as he launched into the air. Math unsheathed Claiomh Solais and prepared for his platform to launch. He heard two clicks and then he too was launched into the Emerald Forest, followed by Ruo-Jian.

Robin laughed and cheered as he soared through the air, enjoying it for a while before he noticed he was getting too close to the ground. He pressed a plain, black button on his gauntlet and his grappling line extended to the nearest tree branch. He grappled to it, flipped forward and activated the grapple again, this time attaching to a lower branch. He flipped forward and landed on his feet, striking a pose.

"Man, I'm good," he cockily chuckled before making his way into the forest.

Mathdon gripped Claiomh Solais with both hands as he quickly approached the trees. As he was just above them, Claiomh Solais's blade again glowed brown and he swung, creating a shockwave that propelled him forward. When he got closer to the ground, he activated Dionach and aimed downward, allowing him to land on his shield and then rolled onto his feet.

"Alright," Math whispered to himself. "Let's see…who can we team up with…?" His mind started to go over the three candidates he'd want for his partners: Robin, Ruo-Jian and Pyrrha.

"Well, I know Robin," Math started. "But…even though we're family, he may want to choose someone else for his partner. Besides, he doesn't always take work seriously." That left Ruo-Jian and Pyrrha as his other two candidates.

"Ruo seems pretty smart and he seems pretty badass, though I haven't seen him actually fight," he said to himself. "He'd seem like a good choice. Pyrrha…" His mind went to the warrior he was smitten with.

"Oh man, I'd love to be with Pyrrha," Math continued. "She's smart, kind, caring…but Robin will tease me endlessly if I'm partnered with-" He stopped when he heard movement in the bushes, prompting him to halt his movement.

"It's faint, but I can still hear it," Math thought to himself as he unsheathed his sword. He retracted half of the blade and revealed shotgun barrels inside the lower half near the hilt. He took a magazine from his belt and placed it in the mechanical piece between the blade and crossguard.

As expected, a Beowolf leapt out of the bushes, but before it could get close to Math, he took it down with a single shot.

"I've fought worse Grimm than you," he stated, hearing more movement. Several Beowolves emerged out of the forest and charged at Math. He took two more down with his shotgun before he transformed Claiomh Solais to its sword form and activated Dionach, adorned with his bear symbol.

The first Beowolf clawed at him, which Math responded by swinging his sword and cutting off the Grimm's claw before slicing its head off. Another leapt at him, but instead of pouncing onto Math, he impaled it as it landed and threw its carcass against a tree. The next one took two swings at the swordsman, but he threw it over him with Dionach and cut its head off.

SMG fire was heard and two of the Beowolves fell. Out of the forest appeared one of the students from the cliff, wielding a pair of SMGS that transformed into a pair of large knives.

He had green eyes, tanned skin, jet black hair pulled into a low ponytail, and wore a green and white robe with black bracers, the right one adorned with a symbol of two knives crossed together, which also had chains connected to the bottom of the blades. He stood a few inches shorter than Math, possibly at 5'9 with a slim build. He fought with immense ferocity, not giving the Beowolves a chance to catch onto what was happening.

Mathdon took advantage of this and fought the Grimm near him while the other warrior attacked those close to him. Just when they thought the fight was over, an Ursa appeared out of the forest as well and charged at the swordsman. Mathdon deactivated Dionach and gripped Claiomh Solais with both hands, again glowing brown, and swung with great force, which threw a brown shockwave at the Grimm, killing it in one blow.

"Are you okay?" Math asked the dual blade-wielding warrior.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," he replied. "I eat Grimm like these for breakfast."

"Good to know," the swordsman replied, sheathing Claiomh Solais. "Well, since we made eye contact, I guess we're partners."

"Don't slow me down," he continued. Math sighed as the two started walking through the forest to the north.

"My name's Mathdon by the way, but everyone calls me Math" the swordsman introduced himself.

"Nasser," the dual blade-wielder responded. "So any idea how far this temple is?"

"All I know is that it's at the northern end of the forest," Math answered.

"Then let's not take all day," Nasser replied.

-0-

Robin was making his way through the forest, hoping to be partnered with someone he'd enjoy being with.

"Hello?" he called out. "Anyone out there? Math? Ruo?" He decided to activate his Semblance, Hawk Eyes, which allowed him a number of enhanced optical abilities. The ability he used currently allowed to see far into the distance and looked for anyone in his line of sight. However, it was a bit difficult due to the thickness of the forest, so he tried a different ability.

His vision turned into a variety of color, mostly blue, green and purple. He looked around for any heat signatures around him, but found nothing until he looked at the ground shaped like a boot print. He knelt and examined the print, immediately recognizing it.

"That's Math's boot print," he said as he examined the area, finding another pair of prints. They led northward together through the forest, towards their objective.

"Well, it looks like Math has found a partner already," Robin concluded with a smile. "It couldn't have been Pyrrha; she wears high heels and these prints are nothing like-"

A Boarbatusk lunged out of the forest and rushed at the archer. Robin heard the noise and jumped over the Boarbatusk, narrowly missing its attack. He pulled out Sharp Shot, then a Fire Dust arrow from his quiver and shot at the Grimm. It exploded on impact, but the Grimm appeared undamaged.

"Right," Robin whispered to himself. "The Boarbatusk's hide is strong, but its underbelly…" He activated his gauntlet and pulled out an Ice Dust arrow and attached it to the bowstring. Instead of firing, he waited for the Boarbatusk to start spinning and charge at him.

Robin leapt out of the way and fired the arrow right into the Boarbatusk's path, exploding into a sheet of ice. As the Grimm passed over the ice, it stumbled out of control and landed onto a tree, exposing its vulnerable underbelly. Robin drew out two normal arrows and shot both of them at the Boarbatusk, immediately finishing it off.

"That takes care of that," the archer cockily smirked as he put his bow away. Before he could relax, a pair of two more Boarbatusks charged at him. He flipped forward, dodging their attacks as they rushed at him. He pulled out his bow once again and nocked an Earth Dust arrow onto the bowstring.

One of the Boarbatusks rushed once again at him. Robin aimed his arrow at the Grimm and held steady. When it was a few meters away, Robin smirked cockily and fired his arrow into the ground, causing the ground under the Boarbatusk to rise suddenly. This caused it to fly into the air and fall onto its back, the archer to transform Sharp Shot into a sword and delivering a fatal blow to the Grimm.

The second Grimm charged towards Robin, knocking him to the ground. His red aura shimmered from the impact as he got up. The Grimm rolled at him once more; a rock was thrown at it, knocking it onto its side. The archer looked to his right and saw that it came from a familiar Tiger Faunus.

"Ruo!" Robin called out to him, immediately making eye contact with him. The Boarbatusk spun at Ruo; he placed his right foot back, activated the Earth Dust in his right gauntlet, causing the outline to glow white. Just as it approached, Ruo threw his fist forward and easily killed the Grimm with the vast amount of force in his Dust-enhanced palm.

"You okay?" Ruo-Jian asked his partner.

"I'm fine," Robin replied. "I had them, though."

"That explains why you are on the ground," the Tiger snarked. "So, let's move."

-0-

"So what do you think of Beacon so far?" Math asked Nasser.

"It's okay," the dual blade wielder answered. "Do you think we're close to the temple?"

"We should," Math believed. "What do you think Ozpin used as relics?"

"I don't really care as long as we find them," Nasser responded as Math stopped. The dual blade wielder turned to look at his partner.

"What?" he asked.

"Do you hear fighting?" Math asked as he unsheathed Claiomh Solais. "Maybe we should lend them a hand." Nasser pulled out his SMGs and transformed them into twin knives.

"Fine by me," he replied. "I was itching for a fight anyway." The two warriors rushed off to find the source of the noise of battle. As they suspected, Grimm were attacking two students, one of them a blonde male with a sword and heater shield, the other being Pyrrha Nikos.

"Pyrrha?" Math wondered for a second, but was snapped out of it by Nasser when he elbowed him.

"Come on," he reminded.

Pyrrha was fighting the Grimm flawlessly, but the blonde male was struggling, eventually being pinned to the ground by an Ursa.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha called out as she rushed over to kill the Ursa. However, as it raised its claw, a shotgun blast was heard. The Ursa groaned in pain before two more blasts killed it. Jaune rolled out of the way before he could be trapped by its falling carcass. Behind it was Math with Claiomh Solais transformed into its shotgun form.

Nasser quickly rushed into the fight, throwing his right knife into a Beowulf's skull. As it fell, Nasser retracted the knife with the chain attached to its pommel. The other one charged at the dual blade wielder, who prepared to kill it, but several blasts from Pyrrha's rifle made quick work of the Beowolf.

"Uh…that was my kill," Nasser stated. "I could've handled him."

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha apologized.

"Nasser!" Math called out as he sheathed Claiomh Solais, having the blade back at its normal length of three feet. "She was just trying to help! You don't need to be a jerk about it!"

"I can handle myself," Nasser answered as he placed his SMGs in holsters on his belt, the chains detaching from the knife pommels. "Let's go." He walked back into the forest on the same path that they had traversed.

"Sorry about him," Math apologized to Pyrrha. "He seems like a bit of a jerk. Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," the Amazon warrior answered. "Thank you for helping us."

"You're welcome," Math replied. "Who's your partner?"

"It's Jaune," the blonde male answered.

"I'm Mathdon, but everyone calls me Math," the swordsman reciprocated. Before their conversation continued, Nasser shouted out "Come on! You can talk to your girlfriend later!" Math blushed a little and thought he hid it, but Pyrrha saw it and giggled.

"I'll see you guys later," the swordsman bid as he went to catch up with his partner, who wasn't too far ahead.

"You didn't have to be a jerk to her," Math scolded Nasser once he caught up to him.

"Hey, I wouldn't be here if I couldn't take care of myself," he argued. "I don't need Pyrrha Nikos to show me off." Math stopped in his tracks after hearing his partner.

"How do you know Pyrrha?" he asked. Nasser turned around with an expression of surprise.

"You don't know who Pyrrha Nikos is?" he asked as he walked up to the swordsman. "She's pretty much a celebrity in the world of Huntsmen. Won the Mistral Regional Tournament four times, she's on the Pumpkin Pete's Cereal Box…How do you not know her?"

"I…just didn't pay attention to those things," Math answered with a bit of hesitation. Nasser's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but went back to walking.

"Well, now you know," he stated. "So don't bother; she's probably out of your league."

"You don't know that," Math quickly replied. Nasser held up his hand behind him and stopped the swordsman.

"Math, Pyrrha is a celebrity and…you're just an average guy," he bluntly claimed. "Don't get your hopes up." Math sighed in frustration, pushed Nasser's hand away and headed northward once more.

The autistic swordsman couldn't deny it to himself; in the short time he knew the Amazon warrior, he was immediately smitten by her. She was kind, welcoming, beautiful, and gave off a sense of being very down-to-earth. She showed no discomfort around him, often waved and smiled at him whenever she saw him, and was able to hold her own against a large group of Grimm despite the lacking skills of her partner, Jaune.

In the four years he had trained with Glaucus and Forest, he was never told of Pyrrha Nikos, a world-class fighter and Huntsman celebrity. He had no idea who she was when they first met, so he treated her like a normal person and not like a celebrity, but she had shown no signs of being offended by this. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he and his partner finally found the Temple.

"There it is," Mathdon pointed out as he slid down the slope, Nasser following him. They then walked up to the ruins and they were baffled by the sight of chess pieces on stone pedestals as they looked around.

"Chess pieces?" the dual blade wielder wondered. "Are these the Relics Professor Ozpin told us about?"

"Looks like it," Math answered. He noticed that some of the Relics were missing, meaning that they were not the first ones here. The swordsman looked until he found a Black Knight piece.

"How about a knight?" the warrior asked as he picked it up.

"Doesn't matter to me," Nasser answered. "We got the Relic. Let's go." Rustling was heard in the bushes, prompting the two warriors to transform their weapons into ranged mode.

"Hey, dude," a voice called that Math recognized all too well. The swordsman chuckled as he sheathed his sword.

"Glad to see you're okay, Robin," he replied as his cousin walked out of the forest, along with Ruo-Jian.

"I trust you two didn't have much difficulty reaching the Temple, did you?" the Tiger Faunus asked.

"We're fine," Math answered. "We already got our Relic."

"You know these guys?" Nasser asked his partner. Math turned to him and nodded his head.

"The one with the bow is my cousin, Robin," he introduced. "This is Ruo-Jian. I just met him yesterday."

"Yeah, great to meet you guys," he replied with an uninterested tone.

"So, did you already choose your Relic?" Ruo asked Math. He held up the Black Knight piece he had retrieved from the Temple.

"Well, that's what we got," Robin called out, holding up the other Black Knight piece.

"Alright!" Math cheered. "Let's get back to the cliff." The four of them walked back into the forest with their chess pieces. For a while, things were generally peaceful until Ruo stopped them.

"What is it?" Robin asked. Ruo's ears twitched a few times; Robin and Nasser couldn't hear anything, but Mathdon started hearing the sounds of rumbling as well. The two warriors reached for their weapons, prompting the other two to do the same.

"Grimm! Three o'clock!" Robin called out. A King Taijitu's head lunged at the group, who managed to dodge the attack. After the dust from the attack settled, the Grimm retracted its head and slowly slithered around the ground. Before they could counterattack, a Death Stalker emerged from the forest and rushed towards the group; Robin and Nasser dodged while Math and Ruo knocked the Grimm's pincers aside.

"Two large Grimm?" Nasser exclaimed. "Time to have some fun!"


	4. Team MRRN

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 4: Team MRRN**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Nasser charged recklessly at the King Taijitu, narrowly missing its head as it lunged at him. He leapt forward, his blades pointed down to impale them on the snake's head, but the white Taijitu head appeared and bit at him. Nasser caught on just in time to parry the strike, but sent him flying into a tree.

"Nasser!" Math called out as he rushed to get to him, but the Death Stalker attacked with its pincers, cutting him off from his partner. Luckily, Robin leapt onto the pincer and jumped forward to Nasser's side.

"Nasser! Robin!" Math called out. "You two take care of the Taijitu! Ruo-Jian and I can handle the Death Stalker!"

"You got it!" Robin agreed as he chose the Ice Dust color on his gauntlet and drew an arrow from his quiver.

"What's your plan, Math?" Ruo-Jian asked the swordsman, but he didn't provide a response as he examined the Death Stalker. As it attacked the two warriors, they either dodged or blocked its pincers and stinger.

"The Death Stalker's exoskeleton is highly resistant to damage and my blade without my Semblance wouldn't hurt it much," Math spoke to himself. "However, it's not invincible…"

"Do you have a plan, Math?" Ruo-Jian called out once more for an answer.

"Go for its joints!" Math decided. "Its exoskeleton may be strong, but it's weak at its joints."

"That won't be easy," Ruo pointed. The Death Stalker swiped its pincer at the two of them; Ruo agilely dodged while Math was struck, but luckily had enough time to activate Dionach, blocking the hit but was still sent flying into a tree.

As for Nasser and Robin, the Taijitu was putting up a good fight for them. Nasser slid along the Taijitu's black back, constantly swiping his blades at the skin to deal damage.

Robin narrowly dodged the white Taijitu head's attack and nocked an arrow onto the bowstring. The head lunged for him; he leapt out of the way and, as soon as he got his opportunity, he fired the arrow into the Taijitu's right eye and pierced through it. It growled in pain as it quickly retracted its head.

"Go for its eyes!" Robin shouted to Nasser as he nocked another arrow.

"I know how to fight Grimm!" he called back as he leapt towards the black Taijitu head and extended the chains, gripping them as he prepared to swing his knives. Just as the blades were about to penetrate, the Taijitu moved and wrapped its slithering body around the dual blade wielder.

"Oh, crap!" he shouted. The Taijitu prepared to constrict him; luckily, Robin leapt flipped below the Taijitu and let loose two Water Dust arrows, exploding on impact and wetting the Taijitu's head. Robin smirked as he nocked a Lightning Dust arrow and aiming for the head, releasing it from the bowstring.

It electrocuted the Taijitu's head, allowing Nasser to escape from the constriction.

"You alright?" the archer asked.

"I'll be fine," Nasser replied.

Mathdon, having rejoined the fight, dodged the Death Stalker's stinger. It threw one of its pincers at him; the warrior used Dionach to deflect the attack, knocking the pincer upward. Seeing an opportunity, he gripped Claiomh Solais firmly with both hands, emitting a brown light much brighter than before and swung, sending a shockwave at the Death Stalker's arm, severing the pincer and causing the scorpion Grimm to roar in pain.

"That's one down!" Math called out. Ruo-Jian dodged the stinger, leaping to the left and looked at the Death Stalker's body.

"Even if we take out its pincers, it still has its stinger," Ruo brought up. "Plus, that armor is pretty thick."

"It is," Math brought up as well. If he and Ruo managed to get rid of the Death Stalker's pincers, it still had its stinger and nearly impenetrable exoskeleton. He kept examining the Grimm in front of them, doing his best to think up a strategy. Unfortunately, Mathdon was not a quick thinker; he was one who needed to time to process and then come up with a plan. Luckily, he got a plan by looking at the stinger and then its armor.

"Ruo!" Math called out. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" he requested to know.

"Sever its stinger," he suggested. "I'll hit it with a shockwave, which will leave it disoriented and then you cut off its stinger. The shockwave will only leave it disoriented for a little bit, so you'll need to be quick."

"Alright, then," Ruo agreed. Math gripped Claiomh Solais with both hands firmly as the scorpion-like Grimm rushed at them. He raised his sword up and brought it down with all his might, sending a powerful brown shockwave at its head.

As presumed, this attack left the Death Stalker disoriented, giving Ruo the opening he needed. He activated the Fire Dust in Huzhao and leapt up to the Death Stalker's stinger. With one searing strike, he severed the stinger from its tail and watched as it impaled on the scorpion's head.

"Now to finish it!" Math shouted. He leapt forward and brought Dionach face down on the stinger, digging it deeper into the Grimm's head and killing it.

"Are you okay?" the swordsman asked the Tiger Faunus, approaching him. He noticed that Ruo-Jian was breathing much heavier than he was from the fight with the giant Grimm.

"Are you alright?" Math asked once more.

"I just…need a minute…to catch my breath," Ruo replied.

"Guess you shouldn't have had that big breakfast, huh?" Math joked. Their conversation was interrupted by Nasser being thrown right into them.

"Nasser!" The swordsman quickly rushed over to his side and helped him back to his feet.

"I could use some help over here!" Robin called out. "I'm running out of arrows!" Math, Nasser and Ruo, having caught his breath, rushed over to help their comrade. Fortunately, from the looks of things, the King Taijitu was near death.

"How are things over here?" Math asked his cousin.

"Just a few heavy hits and it should be down," Robin pointed out. Math examined the weakened snake Grimm in front of him; the black head of the Taijitu was already weakening from the electrocution Robin had used on it and the white head was already down to one eye.

"Off with their heads!" Math exclaimed as he used a shockwave to propel himself up and, with one strike, cut off the black Taijitu head.

"This one's mine!" Nasser called as he planted his foot backward. After a few seconds, he launched himself at the white Taijitu head like a rocket. One cross strike of his chained twin knives and the head of the white snake was decapitated as well.

"Nice!" Math called out as he sheathed his sword. "I didn't see you fight like that before. Was that your Semblance?"

"It was," Nasser answered. "It allows me to redirect kinetic energy however I wish."

"That's amazing!" Math complimented.

"It is," Ruo agreed. "However, we should keep moving. We have the Relics we need."

"Yeah," Math replied. "Let's get back to the cliff before we have anymore big Grimm to fight."

"I want more big Grimm to fight," Nasser exclaimed. "It'll be boring without a bit of good adrenaline."

"A 'bit of good adrenaline' nearly got you killed," Ruo pointed. "You fought without considering strategy."

"I would've been fine," Nasser shot back. "I can handle myself. I don't need criticism from you or anyone for that matter. I know how to fight."

"Let's go," Math interrupted, not wanting an argument between the two. Nasser and Ruo-Jian halted their argument and started walking with the two Kendricks.

"Hey, Ruo," the swordsman asked after a little while. "I noticed you were a bit of out of breath after our fight with the Death Stalker. Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll be fine," Ruo answered. "I just need longer to catch my breath after a fight, is all."

"Maybe you shouldn't have had that big breakfast this morning," Robin suggested. "That was a lot of food."

"I'm aware," Ruo replied. "The food wasn't the problem; it was my stamina."

"What about your stamina?" Nasser asked.

"Let's just say, I don't do well in a long and prolonged fight," Ruo admitted. "I need longer to catch my breath."

"That's good to know," Nasser replied sarcastically. "Now I know who I can rely on in a fight."

"Hey!" Math called out. "Ruo was doing just fine against the Death Stalker. That's more than what can be said about you against the King Taijitu." Nasser turned around and glared at the swordsman.

"Watch it," he snarled. "I've already told you, I can take care of myself because I know how to fight."

"I didn't say you didn't know how to fight," Math shot back. "I just don't like you calling Ruo out for being 'not good in a fight' when you won't even acknowledge that you almost got yourself killed because you were too reckless."

"Are you calling me a hypocrite?" Nasser challenged.

"Well, the way you're acting does make you look like a prideful one at that," Math answered. "You're calling out Ruo for not being good in a fight while you were the only one among us who nearly got killed."

"Hey, hey, come on, guys," Robin intervened. "We all made it out alive. That's what matters right now." Math and Nasser glared at each other before the knife user continued walking. Mathdon sighed.

"What's that guy's problem?" he whispered to Robin.

"Hey, come on," the archer responded. "Maybe he'll warm up later."

"I hope so," Math agreed. "I don't…wait!" He called the others to stop.

"What is it?" Ruo asked. He perked up one of his tiger ears and he heard movement in the forest, movement that did not belong to those of humans and Faunus. Math unsheathed Claiomh Solais and Ruo activated the Lightning Dust in his gauntlets, prompting Robin and Nasser to prepare their weapons as well.

They heard noise coming from their left and saw a Grimm that Nasser and Ruo-Jian were unfamiliar with.

"What is that?" Ruo asked.

"A Raptor," Math answered. "I've only seen them once before."

"Doesn't matter! Let's take it!" Nasser called out as he rushed at the Raptor and prepared to kill it with a swing of his chained knives.

"Nasser, no!" Math called out he rushed after his teammate, Robin and Ruo following him. Nasser wouldn't listen and prepared to strike the Grimm; before he caught on, two more of them leapt from both sides of him, latched onto him and pinned him onto the ground.

"Oh crap!" Nasser exclaimed as his knives were knocked away from him. The third one came in to dig its claws into Nasser, but was killed by an arrow from Sharp Shot. Math made quick work of the other two by throwing a horizontal shockwave at them, knocking them into the trunks of trees.

One of them was killed, but the other got back up and snarled, lunging at them. Ruo pounced at it and dug Huzhao's claws into it, sending loads of electricity into it and killing it.

"I'm not even going to ask if you're okay," Math stated as he helped Nasser to his feet, a clear annoyance in his tone. "Do you even know what those Grimm were?"

"Alright, they got the jump on me that time," Nasser reluctantly admitted.

"They were Raptors," Math explained. "They're pack hunters…and, despite being one of the smaller Creatures of Grimm, they're easily one of the most intelligent."

"How do you know this?" Ruo asked with curiosity.

"I encountered them before," Math answered. "After that, I did some research on them so I could be better prepared for those monsters."

"Care to share that knowledge?" Nasser asked somewhat rudely. Math glared at his partner, reaching his limit with his rude and aloof attitude.

"As I said, they're pack hunters and they're intelligent," he repeated. "If you see one and it's not attacking you, then don't rush it; that's what it wants. Always assume that there's more than one."

"Thank you," Ruo responded as the group continued on their way to the cliff. "I had never seen them before."

"They're not exactly typical Grimm like Beowolves," Robin answered. "I've never seen them before; the only way I knew about them was from Math."

"Is that so?" the White Tiger Faunus asked.

"We trained in different places," the swordsman answered, doing his best to not give away that could expose him.

"Well, now we'll be ready for them next time," Nasser claimed.

The four young warriors continued walking through the Emerald Forest, fighting several Beowolves every now and then; nothing they couldn't handle. Other than engaging in some small talk about different topics, they often walked in silence to keep an eye out for more Grimm.

"Anyone see anything?" Math asked again, keeping his eyes open for the dark creatures.

"If we see anything, we'll let you know, now shut up," Nasser rudely answered. Math sighed in annoyance at his partner's attitude.

Math pulled out his scroll and examined his Aura bar, which read 45%. The use of his Semblance and his fight with the Death Stalker had greatly depleted it, but it was still enough to keep himself safe.

"What is your Semblance?" Ruo asked, curious. "I noticed your blade glowing with your Aura color when we were against the Death Stalker. That's not something all Huntsmen can do."

"It's easier to show than explain," Math answered. "However, I don't use it that often because of how quickly it can burn through my Aura. I underline 'can'."

"Is it the ability to make those shockwaves?" Ruo asked, wondering if the obvious answer was right in front of him.

"Those shockwaves are a…part of my Semblance," the swordsman answered. "My Semblance is easier to show than to tell."

"I look forward to seeing more of it," Ruo-Jian expressed. Low growling was heard from the forest. They could immediately tell what it was and prepared their weapons.

"I'll show you now," Math suggested.

"It's probably just Beowolves again," Nasser claimed with a clear lack of enthusiasm. "Come on. Give me a challenge!" Two Ursa Majors rushed out of the forest and charged at the group.

"That's more like it!" Nasser smiled as he switched his SMGs into knives and threw himself like a rocket at the Grimm's stomach, dealing damage to the first Ursa Major.

"Take off their heads!" Math instructed. "That's their weak point!" Ruo-Jian went to aid Nasser while Math and Robin took on the second Ursa.

Nasser effortlessly landed many attacks on the Ursa he was fighting, but didn't do much damage. He threw his arm back during one attack and, using his Semblance to direct kinetic energy to his hand, cut at the Ursa's unarmored belly. However, it seemed to do barely any damage.

"What!?" the knife user gasped at how little damage he did to the Grimm. It brought its huge claw down on him, but he dodged by leaping to the side.

"Those are Ursa Majors," Ruo-Jian pointed out. "They're much stronger than the average Ursa. Their weak spot is their head, so-" Nasser leapt once again, over the Ursa Major and delivered a kinetically charged slice of his chained knives, loping off the Grimm's head in one blow.

"I got it," the warrior smugly replied, much to Ruo's annoyance. He turned over to Math and Robin, who were near finishing the other Ursa Major. It charged at Math and swung its claw at him.

Just when it was about to hit, a loud slicing sound was heard; the Ursa's claw went flying and it roared in pain. It had been cut by a brown light blade floating horizontally around Math, along with three other blades floating around him like a defensive circle.

He held Claiomh Solais with both hands and the brown blades flew into it; the brown light from before appeared and became brighter as each blade imbued with Claiomh Solais. The swordsman threw the blade at the Ursa Major's head; instead of a mere decapitation, the imbued sword completely obliterated the Ursa's top body, leaving only its hind legs.

"Wow," Nasser admitted in awe of how easily Math destroyed the Ursa Major.

"Those blades…that's your Semblance?" Ruo asked.

"I call it Aura Swords," Math answered as he held out his hand and the sword, still glowing, returned to him. A moment after Claiomh Solais returned to his hand, the brown light faded away and he sheathed the blade.

"Those swords I created…You've seen me use them in three ways; imbuing my blade to use shockwaves, as a defensive counter and simply strengthening my blade."

"I have to admit, that was pretty cool," Nasser admitted. He didn't want to admit something else, but he was starting to respect the three warriors he was with, each of them strong and brave. However, because of his pride, he wouldn't admit this to them.

"The more swords I summon, which I can go up to 4, the faster my Semblance burns through my Aura," he continued. "That's why I often use them as a game changer rather than use them at full force." He pulled out his scroll and his Aura bar read 39%.

"Damn," he whispered to himself, putting his scroll back into his pocket. "I don't know about you guys…well, I know about Nasser, but I'd like to get back to the cliff soon."

"Agreed," Ruo responded.

-0-

"Gaspar Dorado, Orchid Wilson, Linen Douglas, and Luke Denim," Ozpin announced. "The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team GOLD, led by…Gaspar Dorado." The amphitheater was filled with applause, save for several who greatly disliked Gaspar.

"I can't believe that prick's a team leader," Math snarled. "Why did Ozpin let him into Beacon in the first place?"

"Because in spite of his behavior, he is a good fighter," Ruo pointed. "If he wasn't he wouldn't have survived the Initiation."

"That guy Pyrrha was with…uh, didn't catch his name," Nasser brought up. "He seemed to be dragging her down the whole time from what I saw, yet he survived the Initiation."

"Why do you have to act like that?" Math asked with annoyance in his tone. "Seriously?"

"I'm just stating the truth," Nasser replied. "That guy doesn't look like he can take care of himself." Team GOLD left the stage and allowed the team Pyrrha was on to approach the Headmaster. Gaspar made a pass at Pyrrha, but she stuck her nose up at him.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie," Ozpin announced. "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR, led by…Jaune Arc." This time, Math and his friends clapped for them.

"Hope you're not mad that you're not on the same team as her," Robin teased his cousin.

"It's fine," Math quickly replied.

"You sure?" Robin asked with a smug grin. Math playfully punched his cousin before they walked on stage. The swordsman waved to Pyrrha was they made eye contact and she waved back with the same smile that made Math fall for her in just a day.

"Mathdon Kendrick, Ruo-Jian Bai Hu, Robin Kendrick, and Nasser Achdarr," Ozpin started. "The four of you retrieved the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team MRRN (Maroon), led by…Mathdon Kendrick."

Math's eyes widened at what he just heard from his Headmaster; he was just made a team leader.

"Yeah, dude!" Robin called out, snapping Math out of his thoughts and the two fist-bumped. Ruo nodded his head in reply to his new leader. Nasser gave no response, which Math assumed that he was mad that he was not made team leader.

"You alright?" Ruo asked Math as they left the stage. The autistic swordsman nodded his head in response.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. "Just never thought I'd be a team leader, is all. But life is full of surprises." They walked off stage, allowing the final team to approach.

"Finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY, led by…Ruby Rose."

All of the new first-year teams had been assembled; MRRN, GOLD, CRDL, JNPR, RWBY, and four others, though the only two of interest to Math were Teams JNPR and GOLD. JNPR for obvious reasons, but for Team GOLD, he was convinced that their leader would do whatever they could to make trouble for him and his teammates, but he was determined to put the arrogant student in his place if he did so.

-0-

Team MRRN's dorm was two rooms from Teams JNPR and RWBY. They brought all their belongings and luggage in, settling into their new dorm and claiming each bed for themselves. As Math brought the last few clothes in when night came around, he ran into Pyrrha.

"Hello," she greeted warmly.

"Hey," Math replied. "So, how are you liking your teammates so far?"

"They're very kind," Pyrrha answered. "I'm glad to be with them."

"I like my teammates, too," the swordsman responded. "Well, one of them is a bit of an asshole, but I think he'll warm up…hopefully."

"I hope so, too," the redhead agreed. "How was the Initiation for you?"

"Well, we're here," Pyrrha answered. "We did fight a Nevermore and a Death Stalker."

"You and your team took on a Death Stalker and a Nevermore?" Math asked. "Wow, you're awesome!" Pyrrha blushed from the compliment.

"Thank you," she replied. "Well, it wasn't just my team alone; Team RWBY was with us."

"Still, that's awesome!" Math exclaimed. "We took on a Death Stalker and a King Taijitu after we recovered our Relics. Man, those Grimm are tough."

"They are," the Amazon agreed. "Are you ready for classes tomorrow?"

"I'm not looking forward to wearing these uniforms," Math responded. "The bad part is, I'm 17 years old and I don't know how to tie…a tie." Pyrrha giggled at Mathdon's awkwardness.

"I'm sure you'll learn in time," she said. "Well, I better get back to my dorm. It's getting late and I don't want to be tired on my first day of school."

"Me neither," Math agreed. "Good night."

"Good night," Pyrrha replied as she walked down to her dorm. The swordsman opened the door to his and walked in, sitting on the bed right of the window.

"Well, guys, tomorrow's our first day," Math announced. "Let's make a good impression."

"I think we already made a good impression in the Initiation," Nasser spoke.

"Classes and the Initiation are two different things, Nasser," Ruo brought up. "You've proven you're a good fighter, but you're going to need to shape up if you're going to stay at Beacon."

"Hey," Nasser called out. "I'll do just fine, thank you."

"Come on, guys," Robin spoke up. "Can't we just get along?"

"Yes, please," Math agreed with his cousin. "We're a team now and we need to work together if we're going to survive these next four years at Beacon."

"Easy for you to say," Nasser insulted. "Ozpin made you the team leader, which means you get to boss us around."

"Hey, I'm not like that," Math countered, taking offense to how Nasser perceived him.

"Whatever," he responded as he got in his scroll and started browsing the Internet.

"Don't stay up too late," Ruo informed his knife-wielding teammate. "Our first classes start tomorrow at 9." Nasser didn't reply. After about two more hours of unpacking and then leisure time, it was getting late. The four warriors went to bed, prepared for the next day when classes would begin.


	5. First Day

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 5: First Day**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Ruo, Robin and Math were the first to get up; it was about 7:30 and the morning sun was lighting the whole room. They looked over to Nasser and saw that he was still asleep, but he would have to get up to get ready for classes in time.

"You said our first class starts at 9?" Math asked the White Tiger Faunus.

"Yes," Ruo answered. "I believe we have Professor Alan Kura."

"Alan Kura…" Math pulled out his schedule that each student received after the teams were assembled.

"Yeah, we have a class together," the swordsman spoke. "Professor Alan Kura, Grimm Physiology…Room 387 in the main building." Loud snoring was heard from Nasser's bed, prompting the warrior to walk over and gently shake his shoulder.

"Nasser, it's time to get up," he whispered. The black-haired male groaned and shook Math's hand off his shoulder. Math sighed in frustration.

"Allow me," Ruo insisted. He pulled out his scroll, browsed a little and it started playing a loud and annoying alarm tone. The Tiger placed it on the dresser and left it there, allowing the tone to continue.

"Get out of bed and I'll turn off the alarm," Ruo stoically offered. Nasser groaned in annoyance and threw the covers off.

"What is it with you?" he growled. "I'm trying to get some sleep."

"It's 7:34," Math explained. "Class starts at 9 and we still need to get breakfast, get dressed and make sure we have everything."

"We have over an hour before classes start," Nasser replied in an annoyed tone, hints of a temper rising. "Wake me up when I actually NEED to wake up and not when you want me too."

"Watch it," Math responded, taking on a sterner tone. "I don't want to get into an argument with you, so please get ready for class…unless you can do everything and get to class in 15 minutes, considering the classroom is in the main building far from here." Nasser scoffed in response.

Each of them took turns ironing their uniforms; after Ruo finished his last, they went down to the dorm building kitchen to get breakfast.

"I'm getting some coffee ready," Math called. "You guys want some?"

"Yes, I do," Ruo answered as he cooked some eggs and bacon.

"Ruo," Robin asked. "How many eggs and pieces of bacon are you making? That's almost two dozen eggs."

"I'm making the eggs and bacon you asked for," Ruo answered. "I'm making mine as well, which is…12 eggs and 10 pieces of bacon." Robin was barely able to suppress his laugh as he walked over to his cousin.

"Math, can you believe this guy?" he whispered.

"How does he eat so much and still stay in shape?" Math asked as the coffee was finished. He poured the coffee into four different mugs and put them on the table. Ruo brought two plates of eggs and bacon to the table as well while Robin brought the utensils needed.

"Do you remember the last time I ever ate that much for breakfast?" Math asked his cousin after everyone had gotten their food and Ruo's plate was towered with eggs and bacon.

"Yeah, when we were at Aunt Fiolett's once and she made those awesome kolaches," Robin brought up. Math chuckled.

"I lost track of how many I ate," the swordsman joked.

"You know, I can hear you two, right?" Ruo asked as he flipped one of his ears. "We Tigers have very sensitive hearing."

For the rest of breakfast, the group engaged in a bit of small talk before heading back to the dorm to ensure they had everything needed for class, checking their schedules so they knew where to head next.

"Alright, it looks like they give us thirty minutes between classes," Math brought up, examining the time differences. "Well, here's to a good first day of classes."

"Hopefully, we get to do some fighting, too," Nasser hoped.

"There's more to being a Huntsman than just fighting, Nasser," Math replied.

"Save the lecture for someone who cares," the knife user rudely answered. The teammates left the dorm room and walked over to the main building. After about fifteen minutes, the four teammates reached Room 387 and opened the door.

Inside stood a tall man at the chalk board, drawing designs of Grimm. He a fedora hat, a red bandana around his neck and wrinkly clothes, as if he had been working. He turned around, showing his brown eyes and dark red hair and beard. His features gave him an approximate age of around forty years and giving off the aura of a veteran Huntsman.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Professor Kura asked. "Take a seat." Each of them sat down in various areas, waiting for five minutes before class would start. Math took notice of several Grimm designs that were not familiar to him.

"What are those Grimm?" Math asked the Professor. Kura followed his eyes to some of the drawings labelled 'Mork Gigant', 'Tyrannosaur', and 'Lionel'.

"We'll go over those in class," Professor Kura answered. In about a minute, the classroom flooded with students, quick to take seats, not caring where they sat. One student that caught Math's attention was Gaspar as he pulled a Faunus student out of a seat to the far right of him so he could sit down and put his feet on the desk.

"Thank the gods he's not sitting next to me," Math whispered to himself, not knowing how he'd react to Gaspar sitting next to him. He had his fair share of being bullied and he was not going to put up with it again.

"Can I sit here?" a voice asked. Math looked to the side and saw Pyrrha, who looked like she had gotten back from a run.

"Yeah," he quickly answered and scooted over, making room for her. "You okay? You almost look like you're out of breath."

"My team and I had a bit of a late start, I'm afraid," she answered. "We had to run to make it on time."

"Oh." Once everyone was seated, the bell rang and Professor Kura put down his chalk. He walked to the front of the desk and put his fedora hat down.

"Morning, everyone," he answered in a calm manner. "Welcome to your very first class at Beacon Academy. I am Professor Kura and I will be teaching you lot about Grimm."

The first 30 minutes of the class went by rather smoothly, with Professor Kura explaining how Grimm function, their attraction to negativity and going over the basic types.

"Do any of you have any questions?" Professor asked. Math raised his hand and Kura pointed towards him.

"I've never seen a Tyrannosaur Grimm before," he started. "What do you know about it?"

"It's one of the toughest Grimm I've ever seen…and one of the most dangerous," Kura answered. "Except for its underbelly, its entire body is covered in dermal armor. It can take a lot of damage, and I mean a LOT, before it can be broken through."

"But its arms are so small," Gaspar interrupted rudely. "Come on, I think could take it with one swing."

"Its arms may be small," Kura responded. "But its tail harbors enough force to smash a Bullhead to pieces with one swipe and its jaws are strong enough to destroy a Death Stalker's exoskeleton…and strong enough to break down your oversized ego."

Many of the students went 'ooo' at Professor Kura's comment towards Gaspar, whose scowl quickly became one of anger. Gaspar was not used to being challenged because of his family name belonging to one of Vale's wealthiest families. However, he could not do anything in retaliation against Kura since he was already on bad terms with Ozpin.

"There are more Grimm in Remnant than just Beowolves, Ursae, and King Taijitus," Kura continued. "As a matter of fact…Team MRRN met one of the more unique Grimm during the Initiation." He looked over to Mathdon again.

"They were Raptors, sir," he answered.

"Yes," Kura praised. "Raptors are smaller than Beowolves, but are far more intelligent and dangerous than them. While Beowolves will sometimes attack alone, a Raptor is rarely seen without others to aid it. They are easily one of the most dangerous Grimm out there. If you ever see one by itself and it's not attacking, always assume that it's not alone."

"What about the Mork Gigant?" Ruo-Jian asked.

"The Mork Gigant is a unique Grimm in the fact that while most Grimm appear as animals, this does not," Kura explained. "The Mork Gigant is five times that size of a full grown human and shows extremely exceptional strength, which it'd need since it lacks speed. Like the Tyrannosaur, it has dermal armor, but it's not as strong."

Professor Kura continued his lecture, often asking if anyone had any questions. If Gaspar did anything to mock someone or interrupt the lecture, Professor Kura would calmly put the arrogant Dorado back in his place.

"Alright, we have about forty-five minutes left, so I'm going to hand each of you an assignment over what we've just gone over," Kura requested as he pulled out a stack of paper and placed each one in front of each of the students. "Flip your paper over when you're done so I can come pick it up."

Ruo examined the one in front of him; it was only ten questions long, each one multiple choice. He finished the quiz in less than two minutes and flipped his paper over. He looked over to his teammates.

Mathdon was quietly talking to Pyrrha since they had both finished their assignments, making Ruo sigh in disbelief. Robin was on his scroll, looking up whatever he could find on the Internet. Nasser had his head down and looked uninterested in the entire class he was in. After everyone had completed their assignments and Kura had picked them up, he placed the stack of papers on his desk and turned his attention back to the students.

"These next four years in Beacon will be trying, but they'll also be rewarding," he started. "During your time here, you will need to learn everything vital to maintaining security and peace to not just Vale, but all of Remnant. One bit of knowledge alone may be the difference between life and death." The bell rang and the students could leave the classroom. While the other members of MRRN quickly left, Math stayed behind with Pyrrha.

"He seems like a cool guy," Math said to Pyrrha as they exited the classroom.

"He seems very knowledgeable about Grimm many of us are not familiar with," Pyrrha added. "Up until now, I had never heard about a Raptor Grimm."

"Well, I've fought them once during my training years," Math said. "That's how I knew about them when my team and I encountered them during the Initiation." Before he could continue, he tripped and fell on the floor. The cause of this was Gaspar extending his leg to trip him and laughed at his misfortune.

"Oh, you're a real tough guy, huh?" Math growled as he got off the floor.

"Hey, I wanted a laugh and you were passing by," Gaspar dismissed.

"Oh, piss off, you miserable coward," the swordsman shot back. Before he knew it, his head was facing down with a blunt pain in the right part of his face, his hand covering it. Gaspar had punched him.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" he snarled and reached for Math's collar. Before he could, Pyrrha reached out and firmly grabbed his wrist, stopping him from hurting her friend again.

"Leave him alone," she demanded as she pushed him away.

"Oh, so now she's going to protect you?" he harassed. "Hey, come on, beautiful. Leave the boy behind and come with a real man like me."

"You're no man," she replied. "I can't stand people like you."

"People like 'me' are the best Huntsmen in Beacon, which means I deserve the most beautiful girl," he stated with arrogance and without shame, even purring towards her.

"Stop that!" Pyrrha demanded, growing very uncomfortable with Gaspar's unwanted advances.

"I'm not doing anything wrong," Gaspar shamelessly answered. "I'm simply showing you why you should be with me instead of this lowly mutt."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Math roared, losing his patience with the Dorado's arrogance and attitude towards Pyrrha. "You lay one finger on Pyrrha and I'll break every bone in your body!" Pyrrha stepped back a little, a bit surprised by Mathdon's outburst.

"That's enough!" Professor Kura demanded, then glared over at Gaspar.

"He tripped Math and then punched him," Pyrrha explained. "Then he started to harass me." Before Gaspar could lie, Kura held up his hand to silence him.

"Physical violence and harassing another student?" he asked in disbelief. "On your first day? And after Ozpin spoke to you?" He then pointed back to the classroom. "Go back in there. You're staying until Ozpin and I talk to you about your behavior." With an angry scowl, the Dorado stomped back into the classroom.

"Do you need to go to the nurse?" Kura asked Math.

"I'm fine," he replied. "He doesn't hit hard, anyway."

"But this behavior will stop…I'll make sure of it," Kura stated. "Head on to your next classes." He pulled out his scroll, dialing Ozpin and walked back into his classroom.

"Thanks, Pyrrha," Math said to the Amazon.

"You're welcome," she responded, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. She looked back into the classroom and caught sight of Gaspar, angrily waiting for Ozpin to show up.

"People like him are atrocious," she spoke with contempt. "He attacked you and made unwanted advances on me, yet he acts like he does nothing wrong. Who does he think he is?"

"He's a bully, plain and simple," Math replied. "Now let's go. I'd rather not look at him." The two students walked off in the direction of their next classes.

-0-

Ruo-Jian and Nasser had approached combat class and were allowed to go back to their normal attire. They were a bit surprised that the Amphitheater was also where they would hold dueling practice, but they were prepared to fight nonetheless.

"Welcome to your first day of combat class," Goodwitch greeted to everyone once all the students had arrived and sat down. "Here, at Beacon Academy, you will learn everything you need to know about becoming professional Huntsmen and Huntresses. To all of you who think that this class is merely an excuse to beat up someone you don't like, then you best put those thoughts aside. This class to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and how to improve upon them…which is why today, we will hold a few matches and I will be offering feedback based on what I see."

"There's nothing wrong with my fighting style," Nasser whispered, dismissing what Goodwitch had said.

"Says the one who nearly got killed during the Initiation," Ruo bluntly replied, making Nasser glare at him.

"Says the one who can't stay in a fight without wheezing," he shot back. The White Tiger sighed and turned away from his teammate.

 _"Damn that pride of his,"_ he thought to himself. _"He refuses to acknowledge his faults in fighting, but has no problem criticizing others."_

"The first match will be…Ruo-Jian Bai Hu vs. Yang Xiao Long!" Goodwitch announced. The blonde brawler from Team RWBY cheered as she was one of the very first students to start off combat class.

"Head to the locker room and prepare your weapons," Goodwitch instructed. "Once you two are back, the match will start." The two students made their way to the locker room, which was next door to the Amphitheater for combat class.

Ruo-Jian put in his code '0-7-0-9-4-7' and it opened to show Huzhao in good condition. He slid them on and checked the Dust Chambers on his wrists, making sure they functioned properly.

"Whoa!" Yang called out as she approached the White Tiger Faunus. "Those are some nice gauntlets."

"Thank you," Ruo replied. "Don't hold out on me."

"Trust me; I won't," Yang assured as she activated Ember Celica and walked with Ruo back to the Amphitheater, where all the other students were now sitting in the benches high above and watching the two fighters from afar. Goodwitch altered the lights so that they focused on Yang and Ruo, making seeing the other students nearly impossible. Two overheard projectors showed images of the two fighters, each with an Aura Display Bar below their pictures.

"Begin," Goodwitch announced as the two combatants prepared themselves.

Yang was the first to attack, throwing several punches at the White Tiger Faunus. He deflected her punches and kicks until he managed to go onto the offensive by interrupting her attacks with an upward kick, disrupting her punching frenzy.

Ruo-Jian activated the Ice Dust in Huzhao, making the outlines of the gauntlet glow dark blue. He retaliated at Yang with swift yet aggressive punches and strikes, nearly resembling a tiger swiping at his prey. He managed to land a hit on her torso, covering it in a thin layer of ice. Yang stumbled back from the Dust attack, but managed to break the layer with a swift punch.

"You're a good fighter, Yang," Ruo complimented. Yang smirked at the Faunus, but before she could get back on the offensive, Ruo attacked again, keeping her on defense from his flurry of claws and punches.

Finally, the blonde brawler was able to turn the tables by kicking at his head, jumping over him. Once she landed, she turned around and threw a barrage of punches at him, several of them firing shotgun shells. After she threw one, powerful punch and missed, the White Tiger was no longer in sight.

Yang looked around for him, but she couldn't see him. Suddenly, she felt a blunt blow to her torso. She then felt another and then another before she threw a punch, but she hit nothing but air.

"Where are you!?" she asked, her lilac eyes turned red.

"Right here," Ruo answered as he reappeared behind her and swiped at her legs, knocking her flat on her back. Yang growled in frustration as she got back up and let out a loud shout as she threw more punches at him. Only several of her attacks landed hits on the White Tiger Faunus, depleting his white Aura bit by bit.

After several minutes of fighting, Yang noticed that Ruo's breath was heavy and his attacks weren't as constant or strong as before. She could tell that his endurance was fading away and he wouldn't be able to stay in the fight for too much longer. She rushed towards him and threw more punches, but Ruo dodged the attacks. Finding an opening, Ruo activated the Ice Dust in Huzhao and delivered two punches to Yang's arm and torso, encasing both in ice.

"You're predictable, you know that, right?" Ruo brought up. Yang once again broke free of the ice and glared at the Tiger.

"Here's a prediction; I'm going to kick your butt!" the Sun Dragon shouted as she once again threw punch after punch at the Faunus. Soon enough, his endurance started to catch up with him and his blocks became slower, allowing Yang to land more hits on him. However, while Ruo was indeed running short on breath, Yang's predictable fighting style offered the White Tiger Faunus an opening.

Ruo used up the last of his energy dealing kick-based attacks at Yang; as suspected, she started to struggle against his new kick-based style. Bit by bit, Yang's Aura went down until finally, the buzzer went off, ending the match.

"That's enough," Goodwitch announced as she walked into the arena. "Students, as you can see, both Mr. Bai Hu and Ms. Xiao Long's Aura have both dropped into the red. In a tournament-style duel, this indicates that neither of them are fit for combat any longer." She put down her black scroll and looked over to the students.

"Can any of you inform me of what improvements they need to make?" None of the students raised their hands, having been distracted by the awesome display of martial arts mastery both Ruo-Jian and Yang had displayed. Goodwitch sighed when she couldn't find a single hand raised.

"Mr. Bai Hu, your ability to switch between punching and kicking combat styles is very impressive, especially when you analyzed that Ms. Xiao Long would probably not do so well against kick-based fighting," Goodwitch complimented. "However, what nearly cost you the match is your endurance. You must work on being able to fight longer because your enemies will not give you time to catch your breath; that leaves you open and vulnerable." Ruo nodded his head in agreement.

"Ms. Xiao Long, you are a very passionate and hard fighter; you keep getting back up and refuse to back down," Goodwitch spoke to Yang. "While your fighting style is strong, it's also very predictable; Mr. Bai Hu was able to deduce that you would struggle against kick-based fighting. Also, as the fight continued, you started to lose your temper and give into anger. It is not an emotion you should suppress, but it must be one you control. You may both return to your seats." As they left, Ruo walked over to Yang and extended a hand to her.

"Good fight," he complimented. Yang smiled and shook his hand, then Yang deactivated Ember Celica and walked back to her seat while Ruo put Huzhao away in his locker. Once the Tiger Faunus returned to his seat next to Nasser, he was greeted with "Nice job out there, wheezy."

"I'm not the one too prideful to admit his flaws," Ruo countered.

"I don't need criticism from someone like you," Nasser rebuffed. The White Tiger turned away, doing a good job of keeping his frustration with Nasser's pride subtle.

"That pride of his is going to get him killed someday," Ruo thought to himself.

"The next match shall be…Nasser Achdarr vs. Cardin Winchester!" Goodwitch announced. "Both of you, head to the locker room and prepare your weapons." Nasser smirked as he got up and walked past his teammate, heading to the locker room.

Once there, he put in his code '9-8-4-3-2-8' and pulled the locker door open, showing his large knives, Shafarnasr. He grabbed both of them, walking past the leader of Team CRDL as he retrieved his large mace.

"I hope you're ready to lose," Cardin mocked the knife wielder of Team MRRN.

"Don't bet on it," Nasser replied, heading to the Amphitheater. Shortly after he walked into the room, Cardin followed behind him, holding his mace with his left hand and walking with a bully-like arrogance.

"If Nasser doesn't swallow his pride, he's going to lose easily," Ruo believed, watching his teammate prepare to fight.

"Begin," Goodwitch announced. Nasser was the first to attack, throwing a series of slashes and stabs at Cardin, who, despite the apparent size of weight of his mace, managed to deflect the attacks. He found an opening and slammed his mace into the ground, causing an explosion that nearly knocked Nasser back.

Even though the knife user recovered quickly onto his feet, Cardin managed to land a hit on Nasser, dealing a lot of damage to his Aura.

"Whoa," Ruo responded. He had to admit that while the leader of Team CRDL was a bully and a racist, his skill with a mace was very impressive. The White Tiger honestly thought that Nasser would easily have this fight, but his lack of strategy and tendency to stay offensive would most likely cost him victory.

Nasser, despite the immense damage to his Aura from Cardin's mace which was displayed by green shimmering light, managed to get back onto his feet and continue a ferocious flurry of slashes. Many of them hit Cardin, dealing damage to his Aura bit by bit. The Winchester kept looking for an opening to counter, but despite Nasser's lack of strategy, he was easily overwhelmed by his frenzy of attacks.

The knife user leapt back and used his semblance, launching himself at Cardin and sending him flying into the wall. It took a few moments for the Winchester to recover from the impact; as he was recovering, he saw Nasser extend the chains attached to his gauntlets and swing his knives, as if preparing to finish him off with one final blow.

Cardin dodged in time to avoid the incoming blades; he then rushed at the knife wielder and slammed his mace into the ground, again creating an explosion aimed for his opponent. Nasser used his Semblance to move faster and avoid the attack, followed by kinetically charging his chain knife and swinging at the Winchester. As before, it dealt severe damage to Cardin's Aura.

The Winchester was unable to get up in time to counter another kinetically charged attack, ultimately depleting his Aura.

"That's enough," Goodwitch announced. As the lights came back on in the entire room, Nasser swung his chained knife over his shoulder and smirked over at Ruo-Jian.

"Students, I'd like to say that both did very well," Goodwitch brought up.

"But I did better," Nasser interrupted, earning him a scold from the combat teacher.

"Combat class is about improving your skills and instincts at fighting, not about who's better than who," she informed the chained knife wielder. "Speaking of which, I actually have some criticism for you." Nasser raised an eyebrow as he stopped twirling his chain, detached them from the knives and placed them back in holsters as SMGs.

"You fought very fiercely, Mr. Achdarr, but you seemed to fight without considering strategy," Goodwitch pointed out. "Nothing good can come out of always being reckless like that. You must sometimes consider a different approach to a battle other than charging in head-first."

 _"Whatever,"_ Nasser pridefully thought to himself. He won the match. That's all that mattered to him. The only thing that mattered to him when it came to fighting was making sure he won and his 'reckless' style had been doing well for years.

From far off, Ruo could easily see the pride-filled denial on Nasser's face, believing that Goodwitch's criticism was nonsense. Even though Nasser had won, it didn't change that he was a reckless fighter that relied on overwhelming his enemy with attacks. It was hard for the White Tiger Faunus to decide which would do the most damage to Nasser; his pride or his recklessness.


	6. Days at Beacon

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 6: Days at Beacon**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"Barely three weeks and you have continued this unacceptable behavior, despite my warnings," Ozpin expressed with immense disbelief. He was sitting at his desk with a rather annoyed look on his scowl, directed towards Gaspar Dorado, who was sitting across from him.

"Professor, I don't know why you're getting on me," the Dorado responded. "What's wrong with showing affection towards women?"

"What's wrong is that you're constantly harassing them," Ozpin shot back. "Even when they say they don't want to go out with you, you start harassing them and start calling them names."

"I'm not harassing them," Gaspar straight up denied. "It's not my fault they're too stupid to see that I deserve them and not-"

"That's enough!" Ozpin snapped. "I consider myself a patient man, but you are doing a good job getting under my skin. It's barely been three weeks since classes started and you've already received multiple warnings about your behavior, yet you continue to ignore me because you think you're above the rules."

"I'm the heir to the Dorado Mining Company," Gaspar reminded. "Any action taken against me could have bad consequences for you."

"Have you already forgotten what you were told the first day you arrived at Beacon Academy?" Ozpin scolded. "Your family name is not an excuse to do whatever you want and be exempt from punishment. Your family name is not a badge that you can wave around and act superior to everyone else. Your name is nothing but a name here at Beacon." Gaspar's scowl changed to one of anger, hating that Ozpin was disregarding his family name.

"Perhaps you're forgetting who you're talking to," Gaspar growled, standing up and leaning on Ozpin's desk. "My father, Richard Dorado, owns one of the richest companies in Vale. I share his name and that alone makes me better than anyone else. Those girls are stupid for not going out with me and that's the truth. Every time I got into trouble, it is ALWAYS the other person's fault, not mine. You have no right to lecture me or punish me. I am a Dorado and I can do whatever I want."

Ozpin stared in complete disbelief. He had met his fair share of students unwilling to take responsibility for their actions, but Gaspar Dorado took the spot of 'worst student he ever had'. No matter what Ozpin had told Gaspar, he would not give up his mindset of believing he was above the rules. Now, he had the gall to blame everyone for him getting into trouble and arrogantly told Ozpin that he had no right to punish or lecture him as he could do whatever he wants.

"Mr. Dorado," Ozpin started, his tone absent of any gentleness he usually possessed. He stood up, towering over the Dorado still sitting down.

"You are the most arrogant, selfish, irresponsible, and self-entitled student I've ever had. How dare you speak to me like that. I am your Headmaster and I have the ability to have you kicked out of Beacon without a second thought." Gaspar laughed in mockery.

"Even if you did, do you think my father would allow it?" he asked. "My father holds a lot of influence in Vale, meaning that he could do a lot of damage to your reputation as Headmaster if anything happens to me."

What Gaspar said was true; Richard Dorado may not be a member of the Vale Council, but he still possessed a lot of influence in the kingdom due to his status. However, Ozpin had met Richard on several occasions and knew him as an honorable and just man. How he could have a son like Gaspar was beyond him.

"I will speak to your father about your behavior," Ozpin replied. "We'll see how he takes the news of how you're constantly misbehaving and was even very disrespectful towards me. This behavior will not stand." Gaspar stood up and glared at Ozpin.

"As I said before, you have no right to lecture me," he growled before leaving the office. Ozpin sat back down and dialed the number for Richard Dorado, determined to put an end to his son's behavior.

-0-

"No way, the movie's better," Math told Ruo as they were sitting at lunch with Teams RWBY and JNPR.

"The book came first, remember?" the White Tiger Faunus informed his team leader.

"I know that, but the screenwriter, who was also the author, said in an interview with Jacob Fern that the movie is more along the lines of what he wanted for the book," Math brought up. "He only changed the premise of the novel because the publisher or editor wanted it darker and more violent."

"The book offered more details about the modified Grimm's behavior and how they differed from normal Grimm," Ruo added. "It showed the true dark and savage nature of the Grimm and was in no way romanticized."

"The movie showed that as well; it just wasn't as gruesome," Math reminded. "It still showed several characters dying horribly."

"We just saw Grimm killing people," Ruo pointed out. "The movie shows them what we already know about them; they're monsters who kill. The book shows their savage nature all around and not just towards people."

"What are you talking about?" Jaune asked as he took a drink from his water. The two members of Team MRRN looked over to the blonde leader of Team JNPR.

"About which version of Grimm Park is better," Math answered. "Which is the film by the way."

"No, the novel's better," Ruo replied. "Have you even read the novel, Math?"

"Yes, I have," Math responded.

"Guys, come on," Robin insisted as he ate some of his salad. "Let's argue about which version is better later. For now, let's mingle…after all, Math, I think there's a certain 'someone' you'd like to mingle with." The swordsman's face became a bit red as he turned to face away.

"What do you mean someone he'd like to mingle with?" Ruby asked in her usual innocent tone. Robin chuckled as he prepared to tease his cousin more about his feelings for Pyrrha.

"You see, Ruby-" Before he started, he received a look from Yang. The look from Ruby's older sister said "Tell her something perverted and I'll pound you into the ground."

"People tend to act like Math does when he's near a person he likes," he explained with a cocky smirk. "In this case, he's like this because he's VERY near to her."

"Shut up," Math shot at his cousin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh?" Robin asked, pretending to be shocked. "That's too bad because I'm looking for a girlfriend right now, so if you-"

"Don't!" Math told his cousin, but his face turned red immediately afterwards. Robin laughed at his cousin's reaction while Ruo simply slapped his forehead in annoyance between the two Kendricks.

"Man, you are just too funny sometimes," he teased.

During this, Pyrrha was blushing as well, but luckily, no one was paying attention to her. Since the beginning of school, she knew that Math had feelings for her as he constantly told her 'hi', enjoyed spending time with her when possible, and would strike up conversations about how things had been going. The clincher was how protective he was of Pyrrha against Gaspar's unwanted advances, almost always prepared to fight the arrogant Dorado heir.

In honesty, she was starting to like him as well. Even after discovering who she was in the Huntsmen World, he didn't let that get in the way of their friendship and treated her as an equal rather than a celebrity or a prize to be won. The same could be said for the others of Team MRRN as well as her own teammates and Team RWBY, but Math was different. The others simply stopped at 'being friends' with Pyrrha, while Math was obviously infatuated with her. She decided to speak up to change the topic and end Robin's playful teasing.

"Are you going to enter the Vytal Tournament, Math?" Pyrrha asked.

"We're entering, yes," Math answered. "I'm looking forward to seeing teams from the other kingdoms, especially my sister's."

"Which academy does your sister attend?" Pyrrha asked.

"Haven. Her name's Safirlas and she's a third year there, a member of Team IRIS."

"Is that a reason why you didn't go to Haven?" Ruo brought up, knowing how much Math liked the idea of seeing Mistral.

"Not really," Math answered, albeit a bit hesitantly. "I just decided to stay near my family here in Vale, that way I don't have to travel back and forth between kingdoms or not see them in person for years."

Ruo nodded his head, but was secretly not convinced with Math's answer. The group's discussion was interrupted when mocking laughter was heard from behind their table. It was Team CRDL, once again bullying a Faunus that they came to know as Velvet Scarlatina of Team CFVY.

"Don't those guys know they're bullying a second-year?" Math asked, disliking the bullying he was watching.

"They probably don't care," Ruo brought up. Math stood up, prepared to stop Cardin, but Robin got to him first.

"Hey, come on guys," he interrupted their bullying. "You realize you're messing with a second-year, right?"

"She's also a freak," Dove replied. "All Faunus are the same, no matter what grade they are."

"And you're all cowards if you only bully people when you outnumber them 4-to-1," Robin shot back. Cardin growled as he got up and reached for Robin's collar, but grabbed air instead.

"Ooh, I felt a little breeze in that one," Robin chuckled. Cardin threw a punch this time, again missing Robin.

"Stand still!" Cardin growled as he threw punch after punch at Robin, but was too quick to hit. The leader of Team CRDL started to tire himself out after continuing to miss the archer of Team MRRN.

"Stand still so I can punch you," Cardin growled, losing his breath. Nasser was about to get up and fight Cardin, but Ruo and Math stopped him. By now, a lot of people were laughing at the Winchester, failing miserably to land a simple hit on Robin.

"Wow, Math, your cousin's very agile," Ren pointed out, amazed by how effortlessly Robin moved.

"Agility's his strongest suit along with his archery," Math brought up. "But he's not very durable. One hit from Cardin would probably knock him out of the fight."

"He's taken hits before and managed to come back," Blake said, having seen a few of Robin's fights in combat class.

"He just can't take and deal heavy hits like I can," the swordsman brought up. "I'm not trying to bash him or sound arrogant; where I'm very strong, he's very agile." Finally, Robin got cocky and waited longer to dodge Cardin's attacks, which ultimately backfired when he got hit firmly in the stomach.

"Robin!" Math called out as he rushed over to his cousin. As he pointed out, one hit from the much stronger Cardin was enough to knock Robin to the ground. The doors to the cafeteria were opened as Professor Goodwitch walked in.

"What is going on here?" she demanded to know. As usual, Cardin tried to lie and say that Robin attacked him; the remaining members of Team CRDL vouched for him, but everyone else told her that Robin tried to stop Cardin from bullying Velvet and didn't throw a punch. As a result, Cardin was called into Ozpin's office.

"You okay, man?" Math asked his cousin.

"I'm fine," Robin replied. "It felt good to humiliate Cardin like that." Math nodded his head in agreement. Velvet approached Robin and bowed her head as she said "Thank you". Robin smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder before the two warriors glared at the remaining members of Team CRDL, warning them not to mess with their friends.

-0-

Once again, Jaune found himself the victim of Cardin's bullying. As he was walking past the Winchester, he activated Crocea Mors's shield, causing it to expand and get stuck in a doorframe.

"Oh, come on," he groaned as he had difficulty getting his shield out of the doorframe.

"Let me help," Math insisted. Despite Jaune's protests, the swordsman managed to wiggle Crocea Mors out of the doorframe. The leader of JNPR returned the shield to its scabbard form and placed it back on his belt.

"Why do you put up with that?" Math asked. "Cardin has been bullying you since the first day of school and you're not doing anything about it."

"Him?" Jaune asked, pointing the direction where the leader of Team CRDL had left. "Nah, he just likes to mess around." Math's expression soured from Jaune's response.

"Yeah, making you feel like crap and treating you like you don't matter is 'messing around'," Math stated sarcastically. "Don't sugarcoat it, Jaune. Cardin is bullying you, plain and simple."

"You don't know that," Jaune denied.

"Why-?" Math nearly barked, but stopped himself and took a breath. "Why are you defending Cardin? He's nearly treating you the same way Gaspar's been treating Pyrrha and I. Defending him is like defending Gaspar."

"Why can't you mind your own business?" Jaune responded a bit angrily.

"Because you're a friend of mine and I don't want to see you get treated like crap just so Cardin can get a laugh," Math answered. "I know what I'm talking about, Jaune, because I was in your shoes." Jaune thought about what Math said and realized what he meant when he said 'I was in your shoes'.

"You were bullied too?" the blonde male asked.

"I was and still am," the leader of Team MRRN answered. "At my old academy, I was bullied like you, but it was worse. They would do whatever they could to make my life a living hell and do it with a selfish smirk…just like Cardin and Gaspar."

"But Cardin doesn't pick on you," Jaune pointed out.

"That's not what I meant," Math clarified. "Cardin bullies you with a smirk just as Gaspar does to me and it should not be ignored."

"Leave me alone!" a female voice spoke. The two of them turned around to see Yang Xiao Long with Gaspar Dorado following her.

"Hey!" Gaspar called out as he rushed in front of the blonde brawler. "I'm talking to you."

"Well, I'm not listening," Yang shot back, her lilac eyes slowly turning red. She pushed Gaspar aside and continued walking. Gaspar wouldn't have it; he rushed back to Yang and grabbed her arm, finally prompting Math to walk towards them.

"Let me go now," Yang growled in a threatening tone. "I'm not dating someone like you." Gaspar laughed.

"You don't want to date the heir to the Dorado Mining Company?" he asked with mockery in his voice. "Please. Every girl here would dream of dating someone like me."

"You heard what she said," Ruo-Jian interrupted as he appeared, taking almost everyone by surprise. "She doesn't want to go out with you."

"Keep your mouth shut, you filthy beast," Gaspar arrogantly replied. "Why don't you go back and put on your leash and collar?" Yang finally had enough; she ripped her arm away from Gaspar's grasp and activated Ember Celica.

"Say something like that one more time and I'll send you flying to the sun," Yang threatened, her eyes red and her teeth bared. "I honestly don't know why Ozpin keeps someone as pathetic like you around." Gaspar's arrogant smile soured to a furious scowl.

"Because I am not pathetic!" he spoke up. "How dare you talk to me like that, you bimbo!"

That last word broke the camel's back; Yang threw her arm back and punched Gaspar squarely in the face, sending him flying and through the wall of the building. Yang was about to charge at him, but Ruo stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure he's hurt enough," the White Tiger Faunus dissuaded Yang. "Plus, you did destroy a small bit of the building."

"Because he wouldn't leave me alone…and then had the nerve to call me a bimbo just because I wouldn't date him!" Yang barked. "I swear, next time-"

"You dirty little bitch!" Gaspar roared, recovering from Yang's punch. "I'll show you what happens when you assault a member of the Dorado Family!" He spat in her direction before running out of sight.

-0-

Robin was in the training room, taking down one practice bot after another with his bow and arrow. One of them swiped a blade at him; he leapt over the bot and, with his usual cocky smirk, took it down with a flawless shot to the head. He pulled out two more arrows after he landed, made a pose and took out two more bots.

"Whoo!" he cheered. "Man, I'm good!"

"At least as a fighter," a female voice spoke up. Robin turned around to see a familiar face, one belonging to a girl he had flirted with on the first day and got slapped for it. She was wearing her usual shades, beret and bag strapped over her shoulder.

"Hey," he called out, deactivating the training simulator. "Got to love technology, right?"

"For the most part," she answered. "Look…Robin, correct?"

"The same Robin who made your acquaintance when I first came here," he reminded her.

"How's your face?" she asked with a somewhat nonchalant tone, remembering that he seemed unaffected by her slap when they first met.

"It's fine," Robin responded. "So, what brings you here, beautiful?"

"I came here to say thank you," she answered.

"For what?" the archer asked, trying to act humble.

"For helping Velvet out earlier at the cafeteria," she answered. "Cardin's always been bullying her whenever she's not with us. Coward."

"He's been doing it for quite a while," Robin informed. She sighed as she looked down.

"He does it because he knows Velvet won't fight back," she explained. "Don't get me wrong; Velvet is nowhere near weak, she's just too shy to fight back."

"Have you and your team 'spoken' to Cardin about this?" Robin asked.

"We have…and he thinks he can ignore us," she replied. "I guess we're going to need to have another chat with him. Seriously, though, thanks for helping with Velvet."

"You're welcome," Robin replied. "I never got your name by the way." The brunette woman smirked in response.

"Well, since you helped Velvet out…my name's Coco," she answered.

"Coco…that's a beautiful name," Robin complimented.

"And I'll admit you're charming in your own way," she returned the compliment.

"Why, thank you," Robin replied, winking at her with a cocky smile.

"And cocky," Coco added, making Robin's smile drop a little.

"Say, what about that guy, Gaspar Dorado?" the archer asked the leader of Team CFVY. "Does he give you trouble as well?"

"Robin, he gives everyone trouble," Coco answered with contempt in her voice. "A few days ago, he tried flirting with me; normally, this wouldn't trouble me as a good number of guys have flirted with me and I'm a bit of a flirt myself, but I saw the way he looked at me. He looked at me as if I was just a prize to be won."

"Is he doing that to every young woman on campus?" Robin asked.

"Only those he thinks are 'worthy' of him," Coco replied. "When Velvet came around, he called her a 'worthless little beast.' I got on him for it, but he acted like he did nothing wrong. He then started calling me names as well when I turned him down."

"Wow," Robin gasped. "I knew he was a prick, but that's just low."

"I just wish Ozpin would get rid of him already," Coco exclaimed. "Hell, he's worse than Cardin if you ask me."

"Agreed," Robin said. "Well, I need to get back to training, though I hope we have the pleasure of seeing each other again."

"I MAY look forward to it," Coco replied. "Depending on what more I hear about you."

"More?" he asked. "What have some people been saying about me?"

"Some of them saying you're charming, good-looking, fun-loving…others have a more 'colorful' opinion of you," Coco explained. "But from what I've seen, both sides are more or less true."

"Hey," Robin replied with a smile. "I'm not that bad."

"As a fighter, no," Coco smirked. "As a ladies' man…you need some work. Bye." With that, Coco walked out of the training room, leaving the archer of Team MRRN by himself.

"What a woman," he whispered to himself.


	7. Who to Tell?

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 7: Who To Tell?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"Mistral suffered many casualties during the war, but one nearly led to an early defeat," Doctor Oobleck explained to the class. Math and Nasser were sitting down beneath Pyrrha and Ren; while Math was listening to the lesson, having learned most of history from his mother and mentors, Nasser seemed to be barely paying attention to the lecture.

"Now, can one of you young scholars tell me which victory forced the Mistral army to retreat to their main city?" Oobleck asked. Math raised his hand and answered "The Battle of Kuchinashi Pass, which is honestly quite stupid if you ask me." Although he had said the last part quietly, Oobleck still heard him and was curious about what he meant.

"Mr. Kendrick, by what do you mean it was 'quite stupid'?" he asked with an interested tone.

"Well," Math started. "The Vale attacking force was comprised of fully trained warriors while the leader of the Mistral force, General Akakori, only had a handful of trained warriors; the rest were militia. The Vale army could only cross into Mistral from their position by going through a narrow path through the mountains. Akakori chose to setup his force there so they could suffer minimal casualties because of his army's lack of experience."

"So you think it was stupid of Akakori to fight the Vale forces because his army was mostly militia?" Oobleck asked.

"No, sir," Math answered. "His army held the position for three days until the Vale commander asked him to give them time to cross and prepare defenses. Because he let them do so, his army was annihilated and the Mistral's defending forces were forced to retreat. If Mantle soldiers hadn't arrived to stop them, Mistral would've fallen."

"Well, I can understand why you think that, Mr. Kendrick," Oobleck replied. "However, we must consider that Akakori valued honor in war, so he saw refusing their request as dishonorable."

"With all due respect, sir, I was taught that when you're leading an army in a war or battle, it's not your job to fight fair…it's your job to win," Math expressed. "You have to look after your own troops, not the enemy's."

"To an extent, that is true," Oobleck admitted. "Everyone has a different view on war. Moving on…"

Oobleck continued his lecture on most of the Great War that transpired in Anima, moving onto when the Vale army was forced to retreat after Mantle forces arrived.

"As we all know, there was only one circumstance in which the armies would call to a truce. Do any of you know what that circumstance was?" He called on Pyrrha.

"The only time opposing armies would call a truce is when Grimm entered the battlefield," she answered. "They would agree to a temporary ceasefire, fight the Grimm and then continue fighting."

"Correct," Oobleck responded.

"Everyone knows that," Gaspar Dorado interrupted. "There's nothing new about it."

"Mr. Dorado," Oobleck sternly replied. "Unless you're called on, do not interrupt my lecture." The Dorado heir rolled his eyes, thinking to himself _"He's not going to tell me what to do."_ Before the lecture continued, Yang burst into the room, her eyes flaring with rage.

"Where is he!?" she demanded to know, not caring a bit about the class in session. Once she caught sight of Gaspar, she activated Ember Celica and slowly approached him, each step meaning certain pain and death for the Dorado.

"Ms. Xiao Long!" Goodwitch called out. "Control yourself. Now!"

"You saw what he did!" she responded to the stern teacher.

"And he will be punished for it," Goodwitch assured. "Now, please, calm yourself and I will handle this." Yang's breathing slowed down for a second, but ultimately gave in, deactivating Ember Celica and calmed.

"Mr. Dorado," Goodwitch called out again. "Come with me at once."

"I'm in the middle of class," Gaspar dismissed.

"Right. Now." Goodwitch repeated, with only disgust and controlled anger in her tone. Gaspar sighed as he got up from his seat and walked out of the classroom. Once he was out, he saw the three other faces of Team RWBY, each one of them angrily glaring at him. He believed that if left to them, they would tear him limb from limb.

"I'm sorry about this interruption, Professor Oobleck," Goodwitch apologized. "I assure you, this is a serious matter."

"Don't worry about it, Glynda," Oobleck replied. "And it's Doctor." Glynda sighed before taking the Dorado out of sight.

"What was that about?" Math wondered.

"Who cares?" Nasser spoke. "At least we don't have to deal with his smug ass for now."

"Language, Mr. Achdarr," Oobleck called out.

"Sure," Nasser replied with an empty tone. The lecture continued for a few more minutes before the bell rang, allowing the students to leave.

"I wonder what that was about," Ren wondered as he walked with Pyrrha and Math, Nasser having walked away from the group

"Have you seen his behavior, Ren?" Math asked the ninja member of JNPR. "He was bound to go too far someday. He's going to get what's coming to him, I hope."

"Well, I certainly hope he's being punished," Pyrrha agreed, disgust towards Gaspar. "Ever since he came here, he's behaved like he's the prince of Vale."

"It must've been pretty bad for Yang to just burst in the classroom and almost go berserk on him," Math added.

"Well, I have combat class next," Ren spoke up as he broke off from the other two. "Take care." Math and Pyrrha continued walking quietly for about a minute before the swordsman broke the silence.

"How's Jaune doing?"

"He's doing okay," she replied. "I just wish he would…well, that he wasn't struggling so much."

"You've noticed that, too?" Math asked. "I thought I was the only one."

"No, you weren't," Pyrrha confirmed. She stopped talking after that, allowing Math to move onto another topic.

"Hey, Pyrrha?"

"Yes?"

"When we first met, I…I didn't know you were," he stated. "I never got around to asking that I hope you weren't…well, offended that I didn't know who you were."

"No, no," Pyrrha replied hastily. "I wasn't offended at all. It was nice to speak to someone casually…to be honest, Math, I really like being around you." Math swore he could feel his heart skip a beat after that statement.

"You enjoy being around me?" he asked with a bit of nervousness in his voice.

"Of course," she replied with a smile. "You're kind, funny, generous, and easy to talk to, even though you are a bit of a loner…I'm sorry."

"For what?" Math asked. Pyrrha blushed a little.

"For calling you a loner," she replied.

"Don't be. I am a loner…maybe too much of a loner."

"What do you mean?" she asked with concern.

"Pyrrha, I don't know if I can be the leader Ozpin needs me to be," he confessed. "I know how to fight, I know how to use a sword and shield, I know how to be better around people…" He stopped himself, realizing he was probably very close to giving away his condition.

"Be better around people?" Pyrrha asked. "You weren't good with people back then?" Math shook his head.

"Honestly, no," Math answered. "I really struggled being around people back then. I've gotten better, but I still struggle with it. A part of me just worries that I may not be cut out for the role that I'm expected to do." He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Pyrrha with a supportive smile.

"Being a leader isn't a small responsibility, Math," she explained. "It takes time for people to adjust to this. It's still taking time for Jaune to adjust to being leader, just like you, but I believe in both of you."

Pyrrha's smile turned into a blush for some apparent reason, making her look away. The autistic swordsman wondered where the blushing came from until he realized he had unconsciously put his hand on hers and immediately retracted it.

"Sorry about that," he apologized.

"It's okay," she replied. An awkward silence followed, broken shortly by Math.

"So, I'll see you at lunch then?"

"That sounds lovely," she replied before walking off, saying "Goodbye," and waving at him as she did.

"See you," Math replied. He smiled for a little bit before feeling a crumbled-up paper hit his head. After it bounced off, he grabbed the paper and opened it up; it read "You like Pyrrha!" with several hearts around it. He turned to see Nora giggling from behind the corner.

"Very funny," he called out. Even as he walked away, he could hear her chuckling at Math's obvious feelings for the redhead warrior. To tune out the noise, he put his earbuds in and started listening to Voyage.

-0-

"Your son has been receiving complaints about harassment, threats of physical violence, and now he was caught vandalizing one of my teams' dorms, Mr. Dorado," Ozpin told the CEO of the Dorado Mining Company. "You must understand that this is something I cannot allow to go unpunished."

 _"Professor Ozpin, with all due respect, you let a lot of things slide,"_ Richard replied.

"Because I understand the difference between making mistakes growing up and poor and unacceptable behavior," the Headmaster spoke. "No matter what warnings your son has received, he does not give up the mindset that he is above the rules and keeps making trouble at my school."

 _"I will speak to my son about this,"_ Richard replied. _"However, if you need to punish him, please keep it to a minimum."_

"Keep it to a minimum?" Professor Goodwitch asked. "What Gaspar has done cannot be responded with a minimal punishment. He has simply-"

"Glynda, please," Ozpin interrupted, insisting that Glynda remain cool. Richard could be heard sighing over the scroll.

 _"What Gaspar has done IS indeed unacceptable, but you must understand; I am in the middle of a crisis right now that may determine my company's future."_

"A crisis?" Professor Kura asked. "Is this about the stolen Dust that was found in a warehouse over a week ago?"

 _"Yes."_ Richard answered. _"The warehouse was under MY name, so people are starting to think that I'm involved with the recent Dust robberies. I've got the Vale Council, the VPD, and my own board breathing down my neck and watching my every move. Any action taken against Gaspar can be used against me. I'm sorry that my son is causing you trouble, but right now, I need to consider my company's reputation."_

"Mr. Dorado, I'm sorry you're in a crisis, truly I am," Goodwitch replied. "But you cannot simply ask us to just give Gaspar detention or extra homework when we must give him a proper punishment."

 _"He will receive it,"_ Richard assured. _"I promise you, once this crisis is cleared up, then do what you must and I will support you. I will give you the money needed to repair the room, but that is the best I can do for now."_ Mr. Dorado then hung up, ending the call. Professor Kura sighed in frustration.

"Sooner or later, Gaspar will learn about this," he informed. "When he does, he'll make our lives hell. He'll believe that he can do whatever he wants and he'll just get a slap on the wrist."

"I am as frustrated as the rest of you," Ozpin claimed. "However, Richard Dorado is a very influential individual in Vale. Punishing Gaspar now may lead to…severe consequences, consequences we cannot afford."

As much as Kura and Goodwitch didn't want to admit, Ozpin was right. Richard Dorado had the influence and status to make things very hard for the Beacon staff. For right now, they had to simply deal with Gaspar.

"Glynda," Ozpin called. "Can you bring him in please?" Goodwitch nodded and entered the elevator. After about two minutes, Goodwitch returned with Gaspar by her side. As soon as the Dorado heir saw Ozpin, he smirked condescendingly.

"Sit down, Mr. Dorado," Ozpin instructed. Gaspar walked with his usual air of arrogance and self-entitlement as he approached the Headmaster's desk, not once losing his condescending smile even as he sat down.

"I just finished speaking with your father," Ozpin started. "He is disgusted by your behavior and will speak to you about this. But as of right now…" He pulled out several pictures and placed them in front of Gaspar. Each of them showed angles of a vandalized room; the bunk beds were toppled, clothes and Dust were spread everywhere, and the window had been smashed.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded to know. Gaspar shrugged.

"I asked Yang to go out with me and she punched me through a wall unprovoked," he lied.

"Really?" Ozpin asked, his tone full of doubt. "I spoke with Yang earlier. She said that you harassed her about going out with you and you wouldn't leave her alone. You then proceeded to insult her friend and then call her…" he coughed. "A bimbo."

"Because she is," Gaspar responded. "Honestly, Professor, I don't know why you let her stay here."

"Because unlike you, she actually worked to get into this academy," Kura calmly told the Dorado. "You only got in because of your father's request for it, so do us a favor and don't tell us who should be allowed to stay here."

"Let's not change the topic, please," Ozpin gently told Kura. As soon as he met eyes with Gaspar, the calm and gentle presence he usually possessed turned stern.

"You vandalized Team RWBY's dorm simply because Ms. Xiao Long would not date you," Ozpin stated the obvious truth. "Your punishment will be-"

"There will be no punishment," Gaspar interrupted. A loud crack was heard; Goodwitch had snapped her crop on the table near the Dorado.

"You will not interrupt the Headmaster again," she warned as she slowly brought it back.

"As I was saying," Ozpin continued. "For your vandalism, you will receive six weeks of detention and give Team RWBY a proper apology." Gaspar laughed.

"Do you honestly think my father will allow it?" he asked. "It's obvious you're lying about it."

 _"No, he's not,"_ a voice replied, one belonging to Richard Dorado. Before the meeting had started, Professor Kura had activated his scroll and hid it in his pocket, allowing Richard to hear the entire conversation of what happened. For once, Gaspar's arrogance and egotism faded away and was replaced with an expression of fear. Kura pulled it out of his pocket and showed the name "Richard Dorado" to the student with a smirk on his face.

"Father!" he gasped. "How much-?"

 _"I heard everything!"_ he replied. _"How dare you act this way, to behave so arrogantly and ignore Ozpin's warnings…and don't bother lying. Ozpin told me everything!"_

"Father, it wasn't my fault!" he claimed. "Yang wouldn't-"

 _"Yang wouldn't date you, so you decided to vandalize her team's dorm!?"_ Richard replied. _"This is completely unacceptable! The Headmaster has decided your punishment and you will go through with it."_

"Father, no!" Gaspar pleaded, but his father wouldn't have any of it.

 _"You brought this on yourself!"_ Richard replied angrily. _"I raised you better than this and you WILL start shaping up, no matter if you want to or not! You will spend the next six weeks in detention and you WILL apologize for what you did. Do you understand?"_ Gaspar tried to think of something that would get him out of this, but he couldn't come up with anything.

"Yes, sir," he replied, lowering his head in defeat.

 _"Good,"_ Richard replied. _"I better not hear of this again."_ With that, Richard hung up and Kura put his scroll away, still having his smirk on his face.

"Still wish to press your luck?" he asked the Dorado heir. Gaspar glared at the teachers and wished he could say something in retaliation, but after his father's scolding, he knew that anything at this moment could lead to worse punishments.

"Fine," Gaspar snarled. "Yang's not that great anyway."

"One more word and I'll make it eight weeks," Ozpin threatened. Gaspar was silent after that.

"If you have nothing to say, then that will be all, Mr. Dorado." Gaspar growled in defeat as he left the office, completely devoid of the arrogant aura he had possessed when he first came in here.

"This will not stand, Ass-pin," he whispered. "No one gets away with punishing me."

-0-

Math was on the rooftop of the dorm building, practicing his sword-and-shield combo while he had his earbuds in to drown out any outside noises. It was already late, but he had the day off tomorrow, so he didn't really bother to pay attention to the time. He pushed his shield forward with immense strength before finishing with a wide, upper strike of Claiomh Solais.

His training was interrupted when he saw the door open; his cousin walked through the door and greeted Math with a fist-bump as the swordsman took out his earbuds.

"Hey, man," Robin greeted. "How are you doing?"

"Doing fine," Math replied. "You?"

"Well, I think I'm on some 'friendlier' terms with Coco Adel," he answered with a smirk.

"Coco Adel?" the swordsman asked. "The leader of Team CFVY, right?"

"She came by while I was training to say thanks for lending a hand to Velvet," he explained. "I think I may have a chance with her."

"You're serious about having a relationship with her or would it just be a flavor of the month?" Math asked. "Many girls in the past have been just a flavor of the month."

"Hey, I've had serious relationships before," Robin replied. "I just haven't been looking for them until now."

"Well, if you're serious about being with Coco, then I hope you two make a good couple."

"Thanks." Robin smiled at his cousin and shook his shoulder. Math's expression became more solemn, which the archer immediately noticed.

"What's going on?" he asked his autistic cousin.

"There's something I've been thinking about," Math started. "As of right now, the only people in Beacon who know about my Asperger's are you and Ozpin. I…" He paused for a moment and sat down against the wall.

"You feel like you should let some others know?" Robin asked as he sat next to his cousin.

"I want to trust Ruo-Jian and Nasser with this…Pyrrha too, but…I don't know how they'll react when I explain that I have a…condition. We both saw how most of Aurum Academy reacted."

"The people there were just assholes," Robin replied.

"Yeah, well, several people here are assholes as well. Gaspar Dorado, Cardin Winchester…if the wrong people found out about this, they could make my life hell. For all I know, the people I want to tell could immediately think the same things that many others thought of me. I want to tell them, but…I'm afraid."

"You're afraid that they'll judge you for it," the archer deduced. Math was often a friendly and open person, but the one thing he had always tried to avoid talking about was his Asperger's, one small thing that made many people believe he had no worth as a Huntsman. It was something that always scared his cousin because of the bullying he endured and lack of faith in him from many.

"Math," Robin started. "Out of those you want to tell, who do you trust the most?" Math thought for a minute; the top three candidates were Pyrrha Nikos, Professor Alan Kura and Ruo-Jian Bai Hu.

In the time he knew Pyrrha, he knew her as kind, sweet, caring, nurturing and down-to-earth. She offered a smile to all her friends and always managed to find a way to cheer them up. She had never shown any ill will towards the Faunus, meaning that she may not hold prejudice against those who are different. She certainly wasn't judgmental towards Jaune, who was technically Team JNPR's weakest fighter.

Ruo-Jian Bai Hu was his teammate. He was often the one to be the most realistic and the one to remind others to put their studies over fun, sometimes to everyone's annoyance. Despite this, he was a Faunus, a species hated and prejudiced by humans; to him, he would possibly be understanding of what it'd be like for Math since he too had been mistreated for something he couldn't control.

Professor Alan Kura had easily become his favorite teacher. Unlike the hyperactive Oobleck or boring Port, Kura was easily a very intriguing teacher. He had always gotten on Gaspar Dorado and Cardin Winchester whenever they showed prejudice against the Faunus, implying that he had an accepting nature. Perhaps he would be accepting of Math's condition.

"Out of the top three…" Math paused to think between the three people he would likely trust with this information. "I think…it would have to be Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha?" Robin clarified. "Are you sure it's not just because you have feelings for her?"

"I'm sure," Math replied, enjoying that his cousin wasn't taking this opportunity to tease him. "We've seen how Pyrrha is. We've seen her act friendly towards everyone, including the Faunus…well, except Gaspar and Cardin, obviously. I want to believe she has an accepting nature."

"And she does from what I've seen," Robin agreed. "Are you sure she's the one you'd want to tell first? Out of everyone here?"

"I'm sure," Math answered. Robin reached out his hand and put it on his team leader's shoulder.

"Your Asperger's has never been something you've been open about," he started. "I understand why, but it may help you to tell someone else about this, someone you know you can trust." Math exhaled a heavy breath, considering Robin's words.

"I hope you're right, Robin," the swordsman replied. "I'll…I'll tell Pyrrha when I can."

"Alright," Robin replied as he got up and went to the door. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't," Math replied to his cousin. With that, the redhaired archer went inside.

The brown-themed swordsman sat there, thinking heavily about the conversation he had with this cousin.


	8. Brown vs Red

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 8: Brown vs. Red**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Ruo was sitting in the team dorm, meditating to pass the time. His legs were crossed on his bed, his eyes were closed and he was nearly perfectly still, like a statue. His ears sometimes twitched from random noises, but other than that, his body was making no unnecessary movements.

He thought of several of his previous matches while in combat class, one of the most prominent being when he faced Yang Xiao Long. She was hotheaded and impulsive, but her skills in martial arts was not to be taken lightly. He felt that if he had lowered his guard for even a short time, it wouldn't have ended in a draw.

He didn't know why he kept thinking about the blonde brawler from RWBY so much. She was very friendly, sweet, fun to be around, caring and very protective of her friends; this made him remember a time when Gaspar tried hitting on Weiss and almost got violent with her after she turned him down. However, Yang gave him a well-deserved punch in the face, knocking him out cold.

To him, she seemed an opposite of him; where he was calm and collected, she was hotheaded and quick to anger. Where he was realistic, she was optimistic. Where he was more reserved, she was very extroverted.

Was it possible that in the short time he knew her, he was starting to like her as Robin did Pyrrha? No. He wasn't going to indulge in these feelings; he came to Beacon to become a Huntsman, not to get a girlfriend. His friends in Teams MRRN, JNPR and RWBY were enough.

The desire to open his eyes was sneaking up on him when several past memories arrived in his mind. Unlike the ones of Yang, these were a bit painful, even to this day. He remembered the feeling of a hard slap on his face.

 _"Ow! Mom, why would you do that?"_

 _"Because you're weak! You'll never be of any use to the White Fang like this!"_

 _"I don't want to do this anymore! I never wanted to be a part of this!"_

 _"You ARE and WILL be a part of this, you little brat! If anything, you should be happy to be fighting for us!"_

 _"I didn't choose to be in the White Fang! You forced me to-OW! Let go of my ear!"_

 _"We joined because it's the right thing to do! Because refusing to fight for our freedom is both cowardly and selfish!"_

 _"This isn't fighting for freedom! We're killing people-OW!"_

 _"We tried peace…and looked what happened! Humans killed your father just because he married a Faunus woman and had a Faunus son! Just because his family wasn't human! They're willing to murder their own people just to prove the truth!"_

 _"What truth?"_

 _"That humans and Faunus can NEVER coexist together! This will end one of two ways: either we're on top or we stay on the bottom! Now, the next time you see a human, you murder the hell of out of them! I don't care if they're a man, woman, elder...I don't even care if they're an infant! You kill them! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"_

 _"Yes, mom!"_

 _"Good. No more doubting us, Ruo. We are in the right, no matter what we do. Remember that."_

A loud opening noise caused Ruo to hastily open his eyes, as if waking from a nightmare. He looked over to see Robin along with Ruby and Yang entering the dorm through the door that had been opened loud enough.

"You okay, Ruo?" the archer asked as he walked over to him. "You look like you saw something real disturbing." Ruo sighed heavily.

"I tend to act this way when my meditation is interrupted," he answered politely.

"Meditation?" Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow. The White Tiger Faunus nodded his head in reply.

"I prefer to meditate an hour a day to keep myself relaxed and focused," he explained. "What brings you two here? I thought your dorm was finished."

"It is," Yang answered. "But the video game system we brought was trashed when that Dorado guy completely wrecked our dorm. Luckily, Robin invited us over to play with the one you guys have."

"We have a video game system?" the White Tiger asked, looking at his team leader.

"Yeah, Math brought one with him the day we came," Robin explained as he started setting up.

"Is he okay with you playing his gaming system?" Ruo asked.

"Yeah, he's cool with it," the red-haired archer replied. "Say, if you're done with meditation, why don't you play with us?"

"I'm okay with passing," Ruo replied. However, a yank on his arms caught him off guard; those arms belonged to Yang, wearing her usual smile on her face.

"Come on, play with us!" she insisted. "I recently got 'Guardwatch'! I think you'd enjoy that!"

"I don't play that many video games," Ruo replied. Still, Yang pulled his arm, insisting that he join their game. He sighed in defeat and moved to face the TV Projection, which read 'Loading'.

"You don't play that many video games, Ruo?" Robin asked to clarify as he turned his scroll into a game controller.

"I barely had time for those things during my training," the White Tiger answered. Yang reached onto the desk where the TV Projection was and grabbed Ruo's scroll, which he had put there before meditating.

"Well, we need to change that then," she replied, handing Ruo his scroll. After he took it, Yang pulled out her own and turned it into a game controller, followed shortly by Ruby. The screen read 'Three Players Joined', prompting them to look over at Ruo, who was having trouble turning his scroll into a game controller. Yang sighed as he grabbed the scroll from the White Tiger.

"Hey," he called. In just a few seconds, Yang activated the game controller settings in Ruo's scroll and handed it back to him. The screen now read 'Four Players Joined'.

It took a while to explain the game mechanics to Ruo, mostly by Robin and Yang. By the time Ruo understood the controls, the four students were having a blast of fun.

"Stop shooting me, Robin!" Yang growled in frustration as Robin's character accidentally kept shooting her own.

"Then stop hogging all the kills for yourself!" Robin shot back. "There's plenty of enemies for-AH!" He shouted as Yang's character used a rocket that accidentally killed him and Ruby.

"Yang!" Ruby whined. "You killed me!"

"Sorry!" Yang apologized while laughing. "You guys got to move out of the way, otherwise-Hey!" As soon as Robin's character respawned, he got back at Yang by taking her out with a headshot. She glared over at Robin, who chuckling while trying to look innocent.

"Oops," he chuckled. "I was aiming for the enemy behind you."

"Oh, shut up," Yang replied, rolling her eyes. The room was quickly filled with loud laughter as the four students enjoyed their game. To their delight, Ruo had started laughing with them as well, enjoying the time he was spending with Robin, Yang and Ruby. It made Robin smile, knowing that his usually stoic teammate could open up and have fun with them.

However, Robin was at times too caught up in the game to notice Ruo giving constant glances to Yang. Every time she laughed, Ruo felt himself forced to laugh with her, though he didn't know why. He felt himself become happy when she was happy, but he didn't know why. If it was honestly an attraction to the blonde brawler of Team RWBY he was feeling, he hoped to be sure about them.

-0-

"Begin," Goodwitch announced. Blake Belladonna pulled Gambol Shroud from her back and glared at Gaspar Dorado, the same student who had vandalized their room. While she was not usually vindictive, she enjoyed the chance to get back at him for what he did to her and her teammates.

"Let's get this over with," the Dorado condescended to Blake. That did it. Now she was definitely going to enjoy this.

Gaspar raised his rapier and rushed at Blake, who first started on the defensive by deflecting the Dorado's quick, yet reckless attacks. During one of his attacks, he believed he had gotten Blake, but instead hit a Shadow Clone. Blake appeared behind him and unleashed a barrage of slashes with Gambol Shroud.

Any time Gaspar tried to land a hit on Blake, he'd instead hit a Shadow Clone, constantly throwing him off. At this point, Blake didn't care about fighting fair against him; the only thing she wanted to do was teach him a lesson for his harassment and arrogance.

It didn't take very long for Blake to end the fight with a purple shockwave, depleting the last of Gaspar's Aura. After it was done, Yang, Ruby, Team MRRN (excluding Ruo) and Team JNPR cheered for Blake.

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered. "You taught that punk a lesson!"

"It is certainly good to see him lose," Weiss agreed calmly. Gaspar glared at Blake, which didn't go unnoticed by her friends. However, he also caught sight of Yang; she raised her fist and glared back at the Dorado heir, warning him without words what she would do if he'd try anything to hurt her partner. Angrily, Gaspar went to the locker room. Blake went in shortly afterwards, prompting Yang to leave her seat.

"Where are you going, Yang?" Ruo asked curiously.

"To make sure Gaspar doesn't try anything on Blake," Yang replied. "I swear, if he hurts her…" She stopped and walked to the locker room. Luckily, when Yang got there, Gaspar was just putting his rapier away in his locker while Blake was putting Gambol Shroud in her own. She turned her head to catch sight of her yellow-themed teammate and walked over to her.

"Just making sure that prick over there doesn't try anything," Yang answered before Blake could ask.

"What did you say?" Gaspar shouted, slamming his locker door.

"You heard me," Yang replied. "You're a prick."

"A prick who's still better than you," the Dorado replied. Yang and Blake's faces twisted to shock at how much arrogance he possessed.

"Better than you!?" Yang challenged. "Blake practically kicked your ass out there! She beat you!"

"Let me make something clear," Gaspar replied. "No matter what happens, no student here will EVER be my equal. No one." With that, he left the locker room.

"Wow," Blake gasped, in complete shock of what just happened.

"Alright, we have time for one more match," Goodwitch announced. "Do we have any volunteers who have not gone today?" Math was the first to raise his hand.

"Very well, Mr. Kendrick," Goodwitch replied. "Let me find you an opponent." She pressed several buttons on her scroll, causing his image to appear on one of the overhead projectors. The other one shifted through images of other students, selecting one at random until it landed on..."

"It will be Mathdon Kendrick vs. Pyrrha Nikos!" Goodwitch announced. "Both combatants, please acquire your weapons and prepare for the match!"

Math was taken by surprise that he was going up against Pyrrha Nikos; not once did it ever cross his mind that he would go up against the girl he had romantic feelings for. Regardless, he wasn't going to back down because of it. He got up from his seat and walked with Pyrrha to the locker room.

He put in the code '0-3-0-9-9-6' and opened his locker, showing Claiomh Solais and Dionach in its gauntlet form. As he slipped on the gauntlet, he turned to Pyrrha, who was getting her own weapons from her locker.

"Never expected this," Math confessed to her.

"Neither did I," she agreed. "Math, I want to tell you that…well, even though we're friends, I won't go easy on you."

Friends. That one word rang through Mathdon's head as if it meant to be offensive. As much as he denied it, he wanted to be more than just Pyrrha's friend. However, he believed that to do so, he would have to go through with what he talked about with Robin and tell her about his condition.

"I'd be insulted if you did," the swordsman replied with a smile, getting one back from the redhead. As soon as both of them were ready for combat, the two of them walked into the sparring arena and stood facing each other. Goodwitch focused all of the light on them as usual, hiding the remaining students sitting in the bleachers.

"Well, well, didn't expect this~" Yang said in a teasing manner, having picked up on Math's feelings for the redhead. "Do you think Math is going to lose on purpose to get on her good side?"

"No," Nasser replied. "At least, I hope not. Losing to a girl just because you like her is plain stupid if you ask me."

"And have you ever gone up against a girl you like?" Ruo asked.

"As a matter of fact, at my old academy, yes," the knife wielder replied with some arrogance. "I fought her, I won, and…she got mad at me because I wouldn't go easy on her."

"Begin," Goodwitch called. Pyrrha was the first to attack; she transformed Miló into a javelin, gripped it with both hands and charged towards Mathdon. The first attack was an upward swing, initially catching Math off guard and dealing some damage to his brown Aura.

The next attack, Pyrrha swung at his torso, but Math blocked the attack with Claiomh Solais, knocking Miló aside and swung at her feet. She leapt up, avoiding the attack, but didn't catch an activated Dionach before it made heavy contact with her torso. The attack knocked her onto her feet, her red aura shimmering from the damage.

The two clashed blades several times until the red warrior knocked Claiomh Solais's blade aside with Akoúo̱ and kicked at Mathdon, who blocked it with Dionach. He replied by swinging his sword down, hitting Akoúo̱ and missing Pyrrha's counter attack with Miló.

She threw Akoúo̱ at him; the force of the attack knocked him back a little, allowing Pyrrha to transform her weapon into a javelin and perform several wide attacks at Mathdon. When they didn't work against Dionach, she fired her javelin at him with the same force as her shield; again, did almost nothing other than knock him back a little.

As the fight continued on for a little while, it appeared to almost everyone that Math and Pyrrha were almost equally skilled in combat, each of them trading and clashing blows with one another. This took the member of Team JNPR by surprise; she had seen several of Mathdon's sparring matches and, though he lacked her superior agility, he was a very strong and powerful warrior with his sword and shield. She knew he was talented, but didn't expect him to be able to go toe-to-toe with her, something almost none of the students here could.

"Whoa," Nasser exclaimed. "Is he actually managing to go toe-to-toe with Pyrrha Nikos?"

"It looks that way," Weiss replied. "However, the fact she has far superior agility to him gives her a major advantage over him."

"Don't underestimate him," Robin replied. "That's true about Mathdon, but he can take a big beating before he goes down."

At this point in the match, Pyrrha managed to knock Mathdon's sword out of his hand. She unleashed a barrage of javelin and xiphos strikes on her opponent, blocking them all with Dionach. She was caught off guard when Mathdon managed to swing Claiomh Solais at her head, which she narrowly missed. She looked over to where she had seen his weapon fall and was baffled to see that it was gone.

"What was that?" Jaune asked.

"It's Math's Semblance," Robin replied. "He can basically summon 'Aura Swords' that can be used for several purposes; one of them is he can imbue them into Claiomh Solais and enhanced its power or control it telekinetically. He used it to get his sword back to his hand while Pyrrha was attacking."

"Whoa, that's amazing!" Ruby replied, her eyes fixed on the match. "Go…" She stopped.

"Who am I supposed to cheer for?"

"Cheer for Pyrrha!" Nora replied. "Obviously, she's going to win."

"Hey!" Robin interrupted. "Don't be that way! Cheer for Math!"

"Go Pyrrha…and Math!" Ruby cheered awkwardly, causing Weiss to rub her eyes.

The match continued on. Math threw his sword at Pyrrha, who blocked it with her shield. However, she was caught off guard when his blade stopped mid-air while glowing brown; it moved in and attacked her, though she managed to deflect the attacks. Math charged at her and managed to bash her with Dionach, dealing more damage to her Aura.

Math recovered his sword and leapt at Pyrrha, bringing it down on and creating a crater on the floor, which she dodged by backflipping. She countered by throwing Akoúo̱ at him again; this time, it hit him square in the jaw, making stumble a bit further backwards.

"That's going to hurt in the morning!" Yang called out.

Pyrrha transformed her weapon into a rifle and shot several rounds at the swordsman, who deflected them with his sword instead of blocking with his shield. He retaliated by transforming his sword into a shotgun, placed a magazine in it and fired three rounds at his opponent. Knowing the rounds would be too strong for her sword, she instead blocked them with her shield.

The fight continued for longer than expected. Everyone was fixated on the match, including Goodwitch. She looked at the Aura Bars on the overhead projectors and was amazed to see that both their Auras were neck-in-neck with Mathdon at 31% and Pyrrha at 29%. This was easily one of the closest matches she had seen during the first semester.

With each landed hit, each of their Auras went down bit by bit, with Pyrrha in the lead. She unleashed another barrage of swift and strong attacks with her javelin on Math, some of which he deflected with Claiomh Solais. Knocking her weapon aside with Dionach, Math went on the offensive and delivered blow after blow at Pyrrha. He swept his sword again at her legs, but she leapt and avoided the attack.

She threw Akoúo̱, hitting his back and, landing behind him, threw her javelin at him twice, knocking him onto his knees. Just as she recovered her shield, the whole room was lit again, signaling the end of the match.

"Well done, both of you," Goodwitch complimented. "That was easily one of the closest matches I've seen in a while."

"Thank you, Professor," Pyrrha replied. She looked over to Math, on his knees, breathing heavily and holding Claiomh Solais to probably keep himself from falling over. The red warrior walked up to him and extended her hand along with a warm smile. Upon seeing Pyrrha's smile, he returned it and grabbed her hand, which allowed her to help him onto his feet.

"Thanks," he replied.

"That was a very good match," Pyrrha complimented. The two combatants walked to the locker room, where they placed their weapons in their lockers.

"Math," the redhead warrior called, immediately catching Mathdon's attention. Before she spoke, she blushed a little while smiling, making Math blush a little too.

"I mean it when I say…that was one of the best matches I've ever had," she complimented. "I knew you were strong, but…I don't wish to sound arrogant, but I didn't know you were strong enough to…well…"

"Thanks," Math replied, knowing what Pyrrha meant. She slowly started to walk out of the locker room when Robin's words rang in Mathdon's head.

 _"I understand why, but it may help you to trust someone else with this, those you know you can trust."_

Pyrrha had become someone he trusted very much and the fear of telling her about his Asperger's wasn't as heavy on him as before…but the warning was still there. What would she do if she discovered about his past? That he shouldn't have been let into Beacon in the first place? Would she still accept him? Or would she become one of those people who said 'You're not good enough'?

As Pyrrha was reaching the exit, Math threw all 'what ifs' to the wind and called "Pyrrha." She stopped and turned around.

"Yes?" she asked. Math hesitated for a moment, constantly looking down at the floor and at Pyrrha to see if she was going to leave. Luckily, she stayed right there, waiting to hear him say what he needed to.

"There's something…I'd like to tell you later today," he finally said.

"Is it…something personal?" she asked.

"It is," Math replied, Pyrrha sensing his obvious hesitation. He kept looking to see any hint of her being creeped out by this, but luckily, he couldn't see any.

"Well, I could meet you on the rooftop of our dorm building tomorrow night if you wish," she suggested.

"That'd work," he agreed. "I'll…I'll see you later." Just then, the bell rang and the sounds of students leaving the Amphitheater could be heard from where they are. Pyrrha turned around and walked out to find her teammates.

As she walked with them outside, what happened in the locker room occupied her mind, completely oblivious to any conversation between her teammates. What could Math want to tell her? Perhaps he was going to confess his obvious feelings for her; it was possible, considering the way he hesitated as she would if she wanted to tell someone how she felt about them.

If he did, she wasn't sure how she'd react. Mathdon was a good-hearted, kind, caring and protective person; sure he wasn't the greatest around people, but there was no doubting the heart underneath…and it was that heart that was slowly winning her over.

"Pyrrha!" Nora's loud and cheerful voice called, snapping the redhead out of her thoughts. "What do you think? Are pancakes the answer to life?"

"Nora, you've been going on about that for the past two minutes," Ren replied. "We understand your love for pancakes, but that doesn't mean they're-"

"You don't know that!" Nora hastily interrupted. "Who knows? Maybe it's really pancakes that helped fend off the Grimm before humans found Dust."

"That doesn't even make sense," Jaune argued. "How can pancakes be used to defeat Grimm?"

"You cook them, you feed them to the Grimm and while they're eating…BREAK THEIR LEGS…then you eat the ones the Grimm haven't tainted," Nora answered with a mix of excitement and ferocity. "Am I right, Pyrrha, or am I right?"

"Well…" Pyrrha chuckled at her teammate's goofiness. "I don't know if it's possible, considering Grimm physiology."

"Ah, physiology, shm…shmiology," Nora attempted to pronounce. "It could work. As a matter of fact, Ren, could you-?" Ren was already gone, either to go to another class or sensing what Nora was about to ask.

"Great job out there!" Robin congratulated his team leader. "Even Goodwitch complimented how good you two were!"

"I honestly didn't think I could go toe-to-toe against her," Math admitted.

"I'll hand it to you; you lost, but you did good out there," Nasser complimented, making all three of his teammates turn their heads to him.

"Did you just compliment me?" Math asked, often having received only criticism from his prideful and rebellious teammate. Nasser's small smirk of approval became a frown of denial.

"Don't get used to it," he insisted. "Well, I'm going to go get some lunch." He broke off from the group and walked over to the cafeteria.

"Agreed," Ruo replied. "I hope they have pizza today." As the White Tiger Faunus walked away, the two Kendricks chuckled at their teammate.

"He'll probably get like five slices of pizza like he did last time," Math joked. "Geez, how does he eat so much and still stay in shape like that?"

"Everyone's physiology is different," Robin pointed out. "I noticed that you and Pyrrha were in the locker room for quite some time. Something you wish to say?" He grinned over at his cousin.

"I'm telling her tomorrow night," Math confessed. His redhead cousin wrapped an arm around his shoulders and smirked.

"I knew you liked her," he teased. "It was so-"

"Not that!" Math interrupted. "I'm telling her…the other thing." Robin's teasing smirk became a neutral scowl, immediately knowing what he meant.

"I just hope she wasn't creeped out by this," he said. "She didn't look creeped out, but that doesn't mean…" He sighed. "Dammit, I wish this wasn't so hard to tell people, that I didn't feel like I needed to be secretive."

Robin placed his reassuring hand on his cousin's shoulder. It could not be expressed enough to him how much it made Math nervous to tell people of the same thing that made him subjected to hate, bullying and getting wrongfully expelled from Aurum.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Robin assured. "She's an open-minded person; she'll understand."

"I hope so," Math replied. He didn't want to doubt Pyrrha, but the warning of things going wrong still lingered in his mind. Regardless, he wanted to tell her and he would do it.


	9. Confession

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 9: Confession**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Teams MRRN, JNPR and RWBY were sitting together as usual at the cafeteria table. Nora was going on a long rant about how pancakes could be used to defeat Grimm, much to the annoyance of the others, but not as annoying as Yang's puns.

"Guess we'll need to 'cook up' a new plan to defeat the Grimm," Yang punned once more. Everyone groaned in annoyance.

"Yang, please stop with the puns," Math begged.

"But they make everyone's day Yang-tastic," she punned once again. The groans from everyone were louder this time.

"Geez, I'm amazed by how quickly your crap puns come," Robin commented. "But seriously, stop."

"What?" Yang shrugged. "You act like my puns are PUN-ishing you." Everyone cried out in agony.

"Well, time to eat," the yellow-themed brawler said as she turned to her lunch. "Bowl appetite!" That was the last straw; Math, Jaune, Nasser and Weiss picked up their lunches and stood up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Yang asked. '

"To eat somewhere in peace," Weiss replied. "Bowl voyage." She stopped after realizing she just made a pun.

"I'm so proud of you," Yang said as if she was Weiss's mom.

"Yeah, leaving," Math insisted as he walked further down the table with Jaune, Nasser and Weiss.

"Come on, guys," Yang insisted from where she was sitting. "Don't get 'fed up' with my puns." The four students moved down away from the others further.

"Why can't she shut the hell up?" Nasser complained. "Hell, does she even know how bad her puns are?"

"She probably knows and waits for the day we finally laugh at them," Math suggested.

"No, she knows that they're not funny," Weiss informed. "She does it simply because she enjoys it…unfortunately, at our expense."

"Joy," Math replied sarcastically and took a bite out of his burger. Soon enough, the group was joined by Robin and Blake after they too grew tired of Yang's puns.

"Well, that's about as much as I can take," the black-themed member of Team RWBY said.

"At least here we can eat in peace," Math believed as he took another bite out of his burger.

"No argument there," Robin agreed. He was about to take a bite of his salad when his scroll started ringing. He pulled it out, opened it and his expression immediately soured. Judging by this, Math knew who had just called Robin.

"Is he trying to call you again?" he asked. Robin immediately hung up his scroll.

"Geez, why can't he just be happy and leave you alone?" the swordsman asked once more.

"Because he's not happy," Robin replied to his cousin. His scroll went off again, signaling a text. The archer opened his scroll and, once again, his expression soured up.

"What'd he send you this time?" Math asked.

"A picture of a donkey," Robin answered, putting his scroll away and finishing his lunch.

"You okay, man?" the swordsman asked his teammate, who responded with a smile.

"I'll be fine," Robin replied. However, deep down, Math felt that he was lying because he knew the person who had tried to contact him. After Robin finished his lunch, he grabbed his tray and placed it on top of the trash bin.

He walked outside, wanting to be by himself for a little bit. He reopened his scroll and took another look at the picture of the donkey sent to him. He noticed that it needed to be scrolled down to see everything, so he did. There was a message in bold that read "This is what you are!" The archer growled in frustration and deleted the picture. Just as he did, memories came flooding back to him.

 _"You can't keep doing this, Dearg!" Anrydd shouted. "I'm sorry for what happened-"_

 _"Don't tell me what to do!" Dearg roared. "You don't know what it's like!"_

 _"That doesn't give you the right to belittle and mistreat Robin!" Anrydd scolded. "Or any of us for that matter!" Unknown to either of them, a two-year younger Robin was watching the argument from the staircase, well out of sight from their angle._

 _"I'm trying to keep Robin safe!" Dearg claimed. "Can't you see that?"_

 _"The only thing I see and know is that you're jealous of him and you're trying to bring him down!" Anrydd pointed out. "If you were trying to protect him, you wouldn't be calling him names! You wouldn't be treating him as if he doesn't exist! You're doing it to rob him of the opportunity that you lost! But today…you went too far."_

 _"I told you already-"_

 _"And I'm telling you, I've had enough of your bullcrap! I'm sorry for what you lost-"_

 _"And you're judging me?" Dearg challenged._

 _"Do not challenge me, boy," Anrydd snarled. "You may be grown up, but you're still my son."_

 _"Then why aren't you supporting me?" he asked._

 _"Because you've gone too far!" his father roared. "You tried to get Robin kicked out of the Academy because you were jealous of him!"_

 _"Oh, shut up!" Dearg replied. "If you're not going to help me, then I'm leaving." He turned and walked towards the door._

 _"Don't you walk away from me, boy!" Anrydd growled. "I said don't walk away from me!"_

 _"I'm not a boy!" Dearg shouted._

 _"Well, you're not acting like a man." Dearg shook his head and reached for the doorknob._

 _"If you leave now, you will not be welcome here," Anrydd threatened. Dearg ignored him and walked out the door._

"You okay?" a familiar voice asked. Robin thought it was his cousin, but it was a feminine voice. He looked over to see Coco with her shades down, some concern in her eyes.

"Just reminiscing," he replied with a smile.

"You looked pretty deep in thought," she pointed out, walking a little closer to him. "And your expression was pretty…sour."

"It's nothing," Robin assured once more before deciding to change the topic. "How's your team been? Velvet still putting up with crap from Cardin?"

"From time to time, yes," she answered. "We've been staying around her a little more often in case Team CRDL tried anything."

"Can't Velvet take them?" Robin asked curiously. "I've seen her in combat class. She seems to be a good fighter." Coco nodded her head.

"She is, but she's very shy and doesn't like needless fighting, so she doesn't fight back. Unfortunately for Team CRDL, I will…with this." She pulled up her handbag and held it. Robin raised an eyebrow for a minute, but quickly changed to surprise when the handbag transformed into a possibly very heavy gatling gun.

"Whoa," he gasped. "That's more than enough to convince me not to mess with you." Coco transformed it back into her handbag and strapped it over her shoulder.

"I wasn't trying to scare you; just showing off a little," she admitted with a smirk. "So I noticed that you've been flirting with girls less? Any particular reason why?" Robin turned his eyes to the leader of Team CFVY with a flirtatious smile.

"Maybe I've found a woman I'm really attracted to," he replied and winked at her. He wrapped an arm around her, raising his eyebrows flirtatiously at her.

"You say that to every girl you meet?" Coco asked as she grabbed Robin's arm and moved it off of her.

"Well…" Robin chuckled. "Not exactly to every girl I meet." Coco raised an eyebrow in response.

"So you're not flirting as much as you were because you want to go out with me?" she asked bluntly.

"I'd definitely love to take you on a date," Robin replied straight up. "What do you say?"

The leader of Team CFVY was quiet for a minute. The archer couldn't tell if she was offended by such a proposal, if she was considering where she'd want to go or if she was thinking up some insult. Finally, she looked up after some consideration and lowered her shades.

"I'm a bit of a flirt myself, but if I ever had a boyfriend, I'd want them to be loyal to me," she informed. Robin raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Hey, come on," he insisted. "I may be a cocky flirt, but I have standards."

"So do I," Coco replied. "I want to see it for myself. Here's what I'll be willing to do: go a week without flirting and I'll go on that date with you." Robin's eyes lit up.

"Really?" he asked excitedly.

"If you go one week without flirting," Coco repeated. "Starting now." She started to walk off in a direction away from the cafeteria. Before she got too far, she turned to face him and Robin swore he could see her winking at him.

"Alright, go a week without flirting…" he saw two cute girls sitting over by a table. He felt the impulse to go over there, but stopped himself before he could get anywhere close to them. He felt the impulse again, and stopped himself once more.

"This may be a little harder than I thought," Robin admitted.

-0-

Evening had rolled around and Team MRRN was done for the day. Ruo-Jian was meditating on his bed, his eyes closed and seemed to ignore the outside noises, despite his ears twitching several times. Nasser was laying on his bed, going through his scroll and looking up whatever came to mind. Robin was on his scroll also, except he was looking for the specific topic of how to stop flirting.

Math looked at his scroll, reading the time that said 7:38. He went to his messages and brought up the name "Pyrrha Nikos", since the three teams had been trading scroll numbers with each other. He looked up at the last message sent to him, reading "Would 8:00 be a good time to meet you on the roof?", to which he replied "Yes. I'll see you there."

His heart was still heavy. No matter how much he liked Pyrrha, no matter how much time he had gotten to know her and the others he had made friends with, he couldn't get rid of how he was feeling. He felt as if he was going to confess something truly horrible, perhaps a heinous crime, but it wasn't that at all.

"Hey," Nasser called out to Math, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What's going on over there? You look like you're about to have a heart attack." Math raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked, surprised. "How do I look-?"

"You just look real nervous," Nasser pointed out. "Whatever. Not my business." He went back to his scroll and continued browsing the Internet.

"What's Beacon's Wi-Fi password again?" the knife wielder asked.

"It's b3acon#, with a three as the 'e' and a hashtag after it," Robin answered.

"All of the letters are lowercased," Math added. He stood up from his bed and walked over to the door.

"Where are you going?" Ruo asked, having finished his meditation.

"I'm just heading out for a little bit," he answered.

"Have you finished your homework for Professor Oobleck's class?" the White Tiger Faunus asked.

A piece of paper was slid under the door. Math picked it up and it read "Doctor". He showed it to Ruo, who immediately knew what it meant and sighed.

"For Doctor Oobleck's class?" Ruo asked once more.

"I've only one assignment left," Math replied. "I can finish it when I come back."

"Math," Ruo called. "I don't know what's going on, but while we're here at Beacon, we need to focus on our studies."

"We can still slip in time for leisure," the leader of Team MRRN replied. "Besides…" He stopped and, after a moment, replied "I'll see you later tonight." He walked out the door and started walking down the hallway.

It wasn't long before he got to the rooftop. As he waited for Pyrrha, he scanned the area to make sure no one else was listening in on their conversation; he was scared to death of the wrong people discovering his condition.

Second thoughts started to fester in his mind. Was it truly a good idea to tell Pyrrha the truth about his past? He didn't want to doubt Pyrrha's reaction, but most people he came across almost immediately disregarded him as worthless or unfit to be a Huntsman due to his Asperger's. He looked over to the door, wondering if he could text Pyrrha and tell him that it was ultimately a false alarm, but refused as he believed it could cause some harm in their friendship.

Any attempt to get out of this was lost when the door opened and Pyrrha walked onto the rooftop.

Math was silent for a minute, looking for any hints of discomfort in Pyrrha's scowl or body language, but luckily found none. She was just standing there, ready to hear what the leader of Team MRRN had to say. Ultimately, he overcame the mental struggle of telling her and prepared to speak.

"Thanks for coming, Pyrrha," he started. "This…this is something I try to be careful about who I tell, but I want to tell you because…I trust you."

"Thank you," Pyrrha replied. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Before I do, will you promise to keep this a secret?" Math asked. Pyrrha nodded her head and replied positively. Comfortable with Pyrrha's word, he started searching for the right words to start, which were the ones he used most common when telling people.

"Do you know what Asperger's is?"

Pyrrha was quiet for a few moments. The word sounded familiar to her, but she didn't know its exact meaning. She replied by shaking her head.

"It's a condition that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate," Math explained. Again, quiet. But he couldn't be for long; he knew he had to go through with it now, especially since he told Pyrrha he trusted her.

"I have it. My awkwardness with people, my sensitivity to sound, my impulsivity…well, some of it, is because of my Asperger's."

Pyrrha didn't know how to react. Math spoke as if he had done something horrendous, but she saw no reason why he should act that way, prompting her to speak.

"Why are you…so secretive about this?" she asked. "I don't see why you would want to be so lock-and-key about this."

"Because you don't know my past," Math answered. He sighed and thought of what to say next.

"Do you remember on the flight to Beacon when I told you who I trained with?" he asked.

"I remember," she confirmed. "What does this have to do with your Asperger's?"

"A good bit, actually." Once again, he paused. Pyrrha could tell that was hard for Math to tell her, but also made her a bit happy knowing that he would trust her with this information that he kept under lock-and-key.

"I first attended Aurum Academy when I was 13," he started. "When I first entered, I was…very overweight because of my bad eating habits back then. That, along with my Asperger's, made me the target of bullying, especially by someone named Jason Currant."

"You were bullied?" Pyrrha asked with genuine concern.

"For my weight and my Asperger's." Math admitted. "They were harder on me because Huntsmen had to be in shape. But my Asperger's…that's what truly made me a prime target. They would do whatever it took to make my life miserable; stealing my belongings, calling me names in class, throwing stuff at me…once, they even put glue on my seat and, by the time I realized it, I couldn't get out."

Pyrrha's blood started to boil a little from the description of the bullying Math endured. Regardless of what people were or looked like, no one deserved to be treated like that.

"Didn't the Headmaster do anything about it?" she asked. Math shook his head.

"Jason was from a wealthier family in the Upper-class District," he explained. "Having Jason in his school meant good PR for him, so he let him do whatever he wanted. Plus, the Headmaster also had no faith in me because of my condition, so he did nothing."

"He did nothing?" the member of Team JNPR asked with some anger present in her tone.

"Nothing," he stated. "At first, I thought if I could prove myself, he would help me. But no matter, he never showed any support for me." He scoffed. "Even when my mother called him about the bullying, he would deny the claims and say nothing was wrong…don't get me wrong, my mom tried to help, but between her own responsibilities as a teacher at Dawn Academy and the crap the Headmaster was pulling, there wasn't much she could do."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the redhead apologized.

"Soon, I just realized that the Headmaster would never have faith in me because of my Asperger's," the swordsman continued. "After discovering this about me, he just wanted an excuse to get rid of me…and he got one."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked. Math exhaled heavily, preparing to tell one of the darker parts of his past.

"After the first nine-weeks, I found out that Jason had cheated on his final test that was a third of our grade. I reported it to the teacher and he was set to receive a failing grade. When he found out that I informed the teacher, he approached me…and attacked me."

"What?" Pyrrha gasped, slowly becoming enraged by how far the abuse went at the Academy.

"I fought back, but I alone was called to the Headmaster's office," Math continued. He paused once again, unsure of how the girl he liked would react, but overcame the mental struggle once more, knowing he couldn't stop now.

"The Headmaster twisted the scenario to make it look like I lied and attacked Jason out of spite. No matter what I did, he would twist my words and make me look like the bad guy. Ultimately…I was expelled."

Pyrrha's eyes widened and her blood near being lava at this point. Math did absolutely nothing to deserve being treated like this, yet because of one thing he couldn't control, he was subjected to bullying, victimization and expulsion for something he didn't do.

"How could the Headmaster do that to you?" Her voice was full of disgust and contempt for the former person in charge of Aurum Academy.

"He was a crap Headmaster," Math bluntly stated. "After my mom received the news, she was going to press charges against Jason for what he did, but my Uncle Anrydd pointed out that because of his family's wealth, she would be charging headlong into a battle she couldn't win."

Math looked over at Pyrrha, examining her for any signs of her despising him for what he was, what had happened. What happened next took him by surprise as he felt two arms wrap around him.

Pyrrha was hugging him in the hopes of comforting him.

His face became as red as Pyrrha's hair in response to this. He stood there, looking like a dumbfounded idiot in silence, which was broken by the girl hugging him.

"I'm so sorry you went through that," she said. "You're a good person, Math, and it was so wrong of them to bully and judge you for your Asperger's."

"So…you don't think I'm…a freak or anything?" he asked nervously. She looked at him with eyes full of sincerity when she answered "No."

Mathdon felt the emotional weight on his heart lift almost immediately from hearing that one simple word. It meant so much to him to know that Pyrrha didn't think negatively of him because of his Asperger's. It was as if the world was stopping for even just a short time for Math to truly enjoy this moment of relief and acceptance. He wanted to find words to thank her, but couldn't find any with enough worth to tell her.

After a few more moments, Pyrrha retracted her arms from Math and made eye contact with him. No words were needed to show the red-haired warrior the relief the swordsman felt; she could see it all.

"Those two mentors you talked about…how did you meet them?" she asked.

"A few days after the expulsion, Glaucus, who had sometimes visited the Academy, came by my house and offered to take me as his apprentice," Math explained.

"I accepted his offer and we trained for four years. At first, we focused on getting me into better shape and improving my mental and physical health. At times, I still looked a bit fat because of my stocky build and that sometimes made me get a bit depressed, but Glaucus didn't take it easy on me and really pushed me. After I was in better shape, we started training in the basics of hand-to-hand combat; it wasn't my favorite subject, but he'd always remind me how important it was for any Huntsman or Huntress to know the basics of unarmed fighting."

"He sounded like a strict teacher, Pyrrha commented.

"He was, but he needed to make sure I understood what I needed to know," Math informed. "I started learning swordsmanship from him. During my second year of training, I met Forest Kotka while I was outside of the kingdom with Glaucus."

"Glaucus took you outside the kingdom?" Pyrrha asked with surprise in her scowl. "Were you properly trained enough?"

"For the most part," the swordsman replied. "However, during the first few missions I went on with him, he remained adamant that I not fight so I could observe how to battle the Grimm effectively. During one of them, I met Forest, who was a friend of Glaucus. Knowing that Forest was a superior swordsman compared to him, he asked him if he'd help train me and he said yes. So…for the next three years, I trained under two veteran Huntsmen."

"And went on quite a few adventures as well, I assume," the redhaired girl commented. "No wonder you learned to fight so well."

"Thanks," Math replied. "After I got better at fighting and made Claiomh Solais and Dionach, they would let me take part in the missions and split the pay if I fought. Usually, it was just wiping out packs of Grimm like Beowulves and Ursae. A few times, we did encounter more dangerous Grimm like Death Stalkers and Raptors." He exhaled.

"Near the beginning of summer, Glaucus arranged for me to fight four of Aurum's best fighters, Jason Currant being one of them. I won the match and afterwards, Ozpin approached me and gave me the application needed to get into Beacon."

There was quiet for a little bit. Math was unsure of how Pyrrha took in all of this now that he had told her about his past, about how he got into Beacon. Finally, after a short while, it became uncomfortable for the swordsman.

"That's everything," he concluded. "Now you know the truth…what do you think?"

"I think…you're someone who endured a lot and made it," Pyrrha replied, reaching out and taking Math's hands in her own. This action made him blush a little, making him turn his head. He then felt one of Pyrrha's hands escape his own; he felt it again on his cheek as she gently turned his face to look at her.

"I think you're someone who was constantly told you couldn't do it, but you made it. You came to Beacon and proved those who doubted you wrong…and I'm very grateful that you trusted me enough to tell me."

Math couldn't find the words to express his delight once more. He had confessed everything to Pyrrha and she didn't think any less of him; as a matter of fact, she even expressed gratitude for trusting her with this information.

No. He had to find the words to express it, even if they just came off the top of his head.

"Pyrrha, you have no idea how much it means to me to…tell you this," he admitted. "I'll be honest, I was…I was really nervous about telling you."

"I can understand why," she replied. "Does anyone else know?"

"Besides Robin and Ozpin?" Math asked. "No."

Pyrrha let go of Math's hands and took a step back. This wasn't at all what she was expecting. She expected Math to confess his romantic feelings for her, to try and become more than friends. She never would've expected Math to instead tell her of a condition he had that made him judged and hated by people.

"Math…is that all you want to say?" she asked. There was no response from him.

The swordsman thought that she was probably asking him to confess his feelings for her, but...he couldn't. He felt fortunate about being able to tell her about his past, but his feelings for her were something else. There was silence for a while, Pyrrha waiting for a response from him.

"That's all," he reluctantly answered. Pyrrha sighed and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"If you ever need to get something off your chest, my door's open," she offered. She then turned around and walked to the door, telling Math "Good night", to which he reciprocated.

Just as she closed the door and went out of sight, the swordsman stood for a second for verbally punching himself in the gut. Maybe this was a good opportunity to confess his feelings…and he just messed it up.

What made up for it was the relief of someone accepting him for who he was, even after knowing about his past. That was more than enough.


	10. Forever Fall

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 10: Forever Fall**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

A week had passed since Math told Pyrrha about his condition and he had become happier. When he relayed the news to Robin, he too felt happiness for his cousin, but was surprised that Math told her everything. Regardless, it was great for both of them.

During the week, despite some difficultly, Robin had not flirted with any girls other than Coco. Over time, he had become drawn to her for her confidence, her beauty, and her overall personality, probably feeling the same way for her as Math did for the redhaired beauty of Team JNPR. The week was up and Robin had kept his word.

He was on his way to Team CFVY's dorm when he walked past Math.

"Hey, Math," he greeted.

"What's up, man?" Math replied. Robin stopped after seeing a scowl of worry over his cousin's face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Have you noticed Pyrrha acting a bit…differently?" the swordsman questioned his cousin.

Robin had noticed something was up with Pyrrha Nikos; since a few days ago, she seemed a bit cold and not as open from before. He believed it had something to do with her team leader, Jaune. He had started hanging out with team CRDL, acting as their errand boy, their punching bag, and other things that degraded him.

"I have," he answered. "Maybe it has something to do with Jaune."

"Well, he has started hanging out with Cardin," he brought up. "I hope everything's alright."

"Jaune's a big boy, just like the rest of us," Robin replied. "He has to make his own decisions. If he wants to screw his team over for that prick, then let him. It'll be his fault alone."

"I hope he doesn't," Math expressed concern.

"Me too," the archer agreed. "Now, I need to go and see Coco. She's got a promise to keep…and I've got a date to arrange."

"Have fun, man," Math departed with a fist bump. Robin continued onto Team CFVY's dorm, enjoying that he had upheld his end of the deal; now it was Coco's turn.

When he arrived, he confidently knocked on the door and waited for a few moments. The door opened up and Velvet poked her head out.

"Hello," she greeted. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," Robin replied. "Is Coco here? I was hoping to talk to her."

"She went out to Vale to get some new clothes," Velvet replied. "She may not be back for a while."

"Why's that?" the archer asked.

"Coco, as much I care about her, tends to be…quite the shopaholic, especially when it comes to clothes."

"Aren't I allowed to have my interests?" Coco spoke from behind Robin, with two bags in her hands.

"Coco!" Velvet shrieked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"Hey, come on, Velv," Coco interrupted, not losing her signature smile. "You don't need to be sorry. I do enjoy shopping for clothes." She then turned to Robin, remembering that she had a promise to keep.

"I'll be with you in a minute," she told Robin. She walked into her dorm, closed the door behind her and started putting clothes away in the closet and drawers.

"Is that the guy who asked you out?" Velvet asked.

"He is," Coco replied, hanging up a new blouse she had gotten. "I told him that if he went a week without flirting, I'd go on a date with him."

"I don't know, Coco," the bunny Faunus responded. "He seems like the cocky type to me."

"He is the cocky type," Coco replied. "But from what I've seen, he's gone the week without flirting with other girls. He's kept his end of the deal, so now it's my turn." After she was done putting her clothes away, she walked back to the door and opened to see Robin leaning against the wall.

"How'd shopping go?" he asked.

"Found what I wanted," she responded. "Well, I have to admit, I'm impressed, Mr. Kendrick. You kept your word."

"Like I said before," Robin started. "I found a woman I'm really attracted to." Coco smiled at the archer of Team MRRN.

"Alright, so when are you available?" she asked. "And two, do you have a car?"

"I do," Robin answered. "I actually put in the Beacon parking garage a few weeks back. Second, I'm available whenever you are."

"Very well, then," Coco replied. "Do you have any suggestions about where'd you like to go for our date?" Robin cockily smiled. While he wasn't showing it, he was dancing with joy on the inside knowing that he was going to take Coco Adel on a date.

"Have you ever heard of a place called Monty's?" Robin asked. The leader of Team CFVY thought for a moment, but her eyes popped open when it came back to her.

"Yeah, it's a restaurant in the commercial district," she remembered. "I've been there once. I liked it."

"Then does that sound good for the date?" Robin asked. "Friday night, day after we come back from Forever Fall Forest, I drive us there?" She nodded her head.

"Pick me up at 7," Coco replied as she went inside her dorm. Before she completely closed the door, she winked at the redhaired archer. Just as she closed the door, she heard a loud "WHOOO!". She giggled at the one who would be taking her on a date soon.

"Well?" Velvet asked, her eyes glued on a book.

"I have a date on Friday at 7," she explained. The bunny Faunus looked up at her leader and smiled.

-0-

The day of the Forever Fall field trip had arrived. Several teams, including MRRN, JNPR, RWBY and CRDL had gone with Professor Goodwitch. Much to their dislike, Jaune was still hanging around Cardin and his teammates, carrying jars and a rather large case, making Math curious as to what was in it. When he wasn't focused on that, he was admiring the beauty of the forest.

"Man, coming back to this place never gets old," he commented, having been to the forest several times already during his training years with Glaucus and Forest.

"You've been here before?" Ruo asked his team leader.

"Yeah," he answered. "I sometimes came here with family during my training years."

"It is indeed very beautiful, Mr. Kendrick," Goodwitch agreed. "However, we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peaches has asked you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest and I'm here to make sure none of you die while we're here."

"We'll be fine," Nasser replied arrogantly. "What can possibly go wrong?"

"Plenty can go wrong, Mr. Achdarr," Goodwitch scolded. "Now, each of you are to collect one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so make sure to stay close to your teammates. We will rendezvous here at four o'clock. Have fun."

"Will do," Math replied, still enjoying the scenery. He was about to walk off with his team until he looked back and saw Pyrrha with a saddened look on her face.

"You okay?" he asked walking over to her. She looked at him and smiled weakly.

"I'll be fine," she replied. However, Math could easily tell that something was bothering her.

"It's Jaune, isn't it?" he asked quietly. Pyrrha's scowl soured a little after hearing that name. The swordsman looked in the opposite direction to see Jaune walking off with Team CRDL, still carrying their belongings like a pack mule.

"I don't get why he's hanging around with them," he spoke.

"I don't care," Pyrrha replied rather coldly, taking Math by surprise.

"What?" he asked. "Pyrrha, what are you-"

"If Jaune wants to hang around Cardin, then so be it," she stated, pretending not to care.

"Have you even talked to him?" Math asked. "You and I both-"

"It's not your business!" she nearly snapped at him. This took him by surprise; Pyrrha had never acted like this before.

"I'm sorry, Pyrrha, I didn't mean-"

"Just leave me alone." With that, she walked off with her own teammates. As she did, the sour scowl softened into one of regret; Math was only trying to show concern for her and Jaune, after all. She turned around, but the sword-wielding leader of Team MRRN was already gone.

"It's good to be back here," Math spoke to his teammates.

"It is indeed beautiful," Ruo agreed. "Too bad there are Grimm here otherwise this place would be even better."

"Oh, come on," Nasser replied to this. "It would be boring without some Grimm to beat up."

"Do you ever think of anything other than fighting?" the White Tiger Faunus asked his prideful teammate.

"Only when I'm in a place where Grimm are," the knife wielder replied. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but-"

"Don't think about it," Math sternly told him. "Goodwitch told us to stay with our teams, so that's what we're going to do."

"Oh, right, I forgot I need to take orders from teacher's pet," Nasser insulted. This earned him a glare from his team leader.

"If you get hurt here because you're too reckless to think straight, then I'm not coming to your rescue," Math warned. "Remember that time I had save you when you got pinned by the Raptors?"

"Or when I had to save you from a King Taijitu?" Robin brought up. Nasser rolled his eyes.

"Look, those two got the drop on me, but it won't happen again," he assured. The stares from his teammates showed a complete lack of being convinced by the knife wielder. He sighed.

"Fine, I'll stick around with you," he gave in. The four of them met up with Teams RWBY and JNPR, again with the exclusion of Jaune.

"Hey, Ruo, why don't you give Yang a hand?" Robin asked his Faunus teammate. Unknown to Ruo, Robin had started picking up hints that his teammate was developing feelings for the blonde brawler.

"She's fine on her own," Ruo replied with a stoic tone, giving away no hint of nervousness.

"You sure?" the archer asked with a teasing grin on his face. Ruo sighed as he pushed Robin away from him.

"Let's get the sap we need," Math reminded as he got took one of the jars and walked over to the trees.

"Whatever," Nasser replied as he climbed up a tree and started looking into the distance. He was hoping to see some Grimm and get into a fight, but so far, there was no movement to be seen.

Down below, he watched as the others talked and gathered the tree sap needed for Professor Peaches. Of course, he wasn't going to get any; he felt it had nothing to do with being a Huntsman, so he was ignoring it.

"Mr. Achdarr," Goodwitch called from below. He looked down; at first, he couldn't see her, but looked at a part of the forest not covered by the trees and saw her. Sighing, he got off the branch and leapt down in front of her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"May I ask why you're not collecting tree sap like the others?" she questioned. "I told you what you needed to do, remember?"

"To be honest, I don't see how this has anything to do with being a Huntsman," Nasser replied.

"It may not be directly involved with training, but that doesn't mean you get to disregard it," Goodwitch pointed out.

"Huntsmen are warriors," Nasser replied. "Warriors that are trained to go and fight Grimm, not collect sap for a teacher too lazy to get them herself."

"They are also trained to be defenders of the kingdoms," Goodwitch brought up, her voice becoming stern. "To defend those who cannot defend themselves, that is the purpose of Huntsmen. Even after all these weeks, how can you still not understand that?"

"Because just being a defender is boring," the knife wielder replied. "When you get to go out there and fight loads of Grimm, that's when being a Huntsman becomes fun."

"Is that the only reason why you want to become a Huntsman?" the strict teacher questioned. "To have fun slaying Grimm?"

"To live by my own rules," Nasser answered. Goodwitch raised an eyebrow at the knife wielder of Team MRRN.

"To live by your own rules?" she asked. "What exactly are your 'own rules'? To only care about how much fun you can have slaying Grimm while ignoring criticism and facts because of your pride?" Nasser's brows lowered in response to what Goodwitch had just asked him.

He had never been one to enjoy being bossed around by others nor admit when he was wrong. He didn't care about history, duty or learning anything that didn't involve his skills with his knives. Just like he said, he wanted to live by no one's rules by his own.

"Don't paint me as being selfish," he replied, trying to keep his temper in check. "I'm not going to disregard innocent people just so I can have fun. I'm not heartless."

"I never said you were," Goodwitch clarified. "However, you need to realize that there is more to being a Huntsman than just fighting Grimm. If you think that you can disregard anything that doesn't involve fighting, then you will not stay at Beacon for long. You're already close to failing some of your classes."

"My grades aren't that bad," Nasser denied. Goodwitch sighed in response with frustration. She was getting very tired of telling Nasser of how to improve his fighting skills, his work ethics and other things, yet get the same pride-filled response again and again.

"Nasser Achdarr," Goodwitch sternly replied, showing small hints of anger. "If you do not improve, then you will not stay at Beacon. Now please go and collect the sap as needed." Nasser sighed and walked back over to his teammates, who had all collected the sap needed.

"Hey, Yang!" Robin called out, immediately grabbing the fist-fighter's attention. "Ruo said he really likes your hair!"

"Thank you!" Yang called out to the White Tiger Faunus, still hiding any hint of nervousness with his stoicism.

"Come on," Robin teased his teammate. "Yang's over there alone~"

"Knock it off," Ruo demanded, hints of annoyance in his tone. Robin looked down at his hands, where he was wearing Huzhao and presenting the razor-sharp claws on the tips of his fingers, warning him to stop. Robin backed off and left his teammate alone.

Math was sitting on the bottom of a tree trunk, having collected his jar's worth of sap, and continuing to admire the beauty of the Forever Fall forest. He was about to pull out his scroll and start listening to music until he heard a flock of birds fly away.

"What was that?" he wondered. He got up and looked around, remaining quiet so he could pick up any noise around him.

"NORA!" Pyrrha shouted, almost making Math reach for his sword. He relaxed when he saw what had happened; Nora had eaten the tree sap that Pyrrha had collected. She giggled and shrugged in response.

"Sorry," she apologized. "That stuff is very sweet."

"Then please eat your own," Pyrrha demanded with a stern tone. "You do realize this is for an assignment, right?"

"But there's plenty of sap around," Nora brought up. Pyrrha sighed and walked over to a tree to refill her jar.

This prompted Math to take out his scroll, go to texting and message his teammates "Nora loves sap. Keep your eyes on your jars and don't let her near you.".

Nasser filled up his jar with tree sap and decided to head back up to the same branch where he had been sitting before being called by Goodwitch. His scroll buzzed; he opened it and read the message sent by his team leader "Nora loves sap. Keep your eyes on your jars and don't let her near you."

"Sure," he replied, putting his hands behind his head to relax. He felt himself start to doze off a little. Before he knew it, he was asleep, his breath now a steady snore.

 _"You selfish bastard!" Nasser called over his scroll. "How could you do this to us? To your family!?"_

 _"I simply took my share of father's inheritance," a very familiar yet unwelcome voice on the other end of the scroll replied._

 _"That money wasn't meant for just you!" Nasser shouted. "It was meant for all of us! Also, you didn't just 'take your share', you stole it all!"_

 _"Because the money is mine!" the voice replied. "Father entrusted me with it!"_

 _"It was meant to help US, not help just YOU!" the knife wielder shot back. "You had no right to take it all for yourself!"_

 _"Come on," the voice responded. "Don't ruin our relationship because of money. That's selfish." Nasser couldn't believe what he just heard; this person had taken most of his father's inheritance money for himself and then had the gall to call him selfish._

 _"You are such a hypocrite for saying that," he called out. "The one being selfish is you! You took that money so you could live in luxury while leaving us in the dirt, you son of a bitch!"_

 _"I don't have to hear this," the voice denied. "Father entrusted the money to me and I can do with it however I want. If you don't like that, too bad."_

 _"How many times do I have to say this!?" Nasser shouted, not bothering to control his temper. "THAT! MONEY! IS! NOT! JUST! YOURS!"_

 _"It is MINE!" the voice shouted back. "It is mine and no one else's!" The scroll then hung up. Nasser felt his blood boil and he threw his scroll against the wall, almost breaking into many pieces._

The dream caused Nasser to wake up. He hated reliving that part of his life, the part where a family member took his father's inheritance for himself and leaving Nasser and his family to live in poverty.

"That selfish piece of ass thinks we can't live without him and his money…which was actually OUR money," he growled. "When I graduate here, I'll show him! I'll show him just how much-!" Screaming was heard in the distance, prompting Nasser to leap down from the branch and witness Russel, Dove and Sky of Team CRDL running away like cowards.

"What's going on?" Yang demanded after Russel bumped into her.

"There's a Grimm!" he answered in a panic. "It's got Cardin!"

"You mean you abandoned him?" Math called out.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped, remembering that Jaune was with him.

"How many are there?" the swordsman of Team MRRN questioned.

"It's a big one!" Russel replied. "It's an Ursa, but bigger!" Math unsheathed Claiomh Solais and activated Dionach.

"All of you, go and get Professor Goodwitch!" Pyrrha ordered as she readied her weapons along with Ruby and Weiss. "There could be more!"

"Let's go!" Math insisted. "If it's an Ursa Major, then they're in serious danger!" He didn't wait for a response as he immediately took off, followed by Nasser.

Pyrrha, Ruby and Weiss caught up with them and they made their way through the forest to find Cardin and Jaune.

"Did they say it was an Ursa Major?" Nasser asked his team leader as they were hurrying to find the two missing students.

"It has to be," Math responded. Nasser cheered as a smile came across his face.

"This'll be fun," he replied. To his surprise, he felt a hard, blunt force hit the back of his head. He looked back at Math, who had a scolding look on his face, who had hit him with the pommel of his sword.

"Jaune and Cardin are in danger, you idiot!" he replied in an annoyed tone. "Stop thinking about fun and consider the fact-!"

"There they are!" Ruby called as she pointed in their direction. Cardin was crawling away from the Ursa Major, scared for his life as he was without a weapon to defend himself. The Grimm brought its claw down on him, only to be blocked and deflected by Jaune's shield.

Math and Nasser prepared their weapons to charge, but Pyrrha held out her arm and stopped them.

"Wait," she insisted. The swordsman and knife wielder looked at each other and then Pyrrha. While Nasser was impatient to get into the fray and help fight, Math lowered his weapons and told his teammate to do the same.

"Alright," he agreed. "But if it's too much for Jaune, we're going in." Pyrrha nodded her head in agreement.

Jaune landed several strikes on the Ursa Major, but the tables seemed to turn and the Grimm started to overpower him. On the side, Math was doing his best to stop himself and Nasser from getting involved as Pyrrha wanted, but Jaune getting beaten by the Ursa made the impulse to fight much harder to control.

"That's it," Math said. "We have to-"

"Wait," Pyrrha insisted again. As Jaune charged the Ursa Major, the amazon warrior reached out her hand and a black outline appeared. To everyone's surprise, Jaune's shield blocked the attack from the Grimm, allowing him to cut off its head with one strike.

"What?" the brown swordsman wondered.

"How did you-?" Weiss tried to ask.

"Well, Ruby has her speed, Mathdon has his Aura Swords, you have your glyphs…my Semblance is polarity," Pyrrha replied.

"Wow, you can control poles," Ruby responded.

"No, Ruby," Math corrected. "Polarity means 'magnetism'. She can basically control any magnetized metal." Pyrrha started to walk away from the battle sit.

"Where are you going?" Weiss asked. "Shouldn't we tell them what happened?" Pyrrha smirked in reply.

"We could," she responded. "Or perhaps…we could keep it our little secret?" She then continued walking away.

"Well, that was a waste," Nasser commented as the rest of them started to walk away as well. "That would've been awesome to fight!"

"Oh, shut up," Math demanded. "Do you ever think about anything other than having fun fighting Grimm?"

"I don't need that," Nasser shot at his leader and walked further away. The swordsman growled in frustration at his green-themed teammate.

When they got back with the others, Goodwitch had already arrived. Math and Pyrrha explained the situation to her and this made her glare over at the three present members of Team CRDL. After talking with Math and Pyrrha, the strict professor walked over to them and scolded them for abandoning their team leader without a second thought.

"Is everyone alright?" Ruo asked Math.

"Jaune and Cardin are fine," the swordsman assured. "I don't know about Russel, Dove and Sky, though. I think they're in for quite the earful."

"Well, they DID abandon Cardin and Jaune," Ruo brought up. "Of course Goodwitch would be mad at them." The swordsman nodded his head in agreement.

"By the way, what was Robin teasing you about earlier?" Math asked. "He said you complimented Yang's hair?"

"I didn't," Ruo told.

"He did," Robin teased, putting his hand on Ruo's shoulder. The White Tiger Faunus grabbed the archer's index finger and bent it, making him let out a yelp of pain. Math chuckled at this until he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He turned around to see Pyrrha with a look of regret in her eyes.

"Math, can I talk to you really quick?" she asked.

"Sure," he responded and turned around to make eye contact with her.

"I…thought eye contact was something people with Asperger's had trouble with," she brought up quietly to make sure no one heard her.

"We usually do," he replied quietly. "But I manage, thanks to Glaucus and Forest." She smiled at him, but it quickly disappeared as she looked away from him.

"Earlier…when you were…I'm sorry for snapping at you like that," she apologized to him. "I was so mad about Jaune being around Cardin…because…"

"Thanks," Math accepted. "I didn't mean to…bear down on you like I did earlier-"

"You were just concerned," Pyrrha interrupted. "I appreciate that. Still, I'm sorry for earlier." She felt two arms hug her, causing her to blush as red as her hair.

"Thanks," Math said. "I want things to be good between you and Jaune and between us. I'm glad they are." When he let her go, she turned her face away, trying to hide the bright red blush and smile on her face.

"Pyrrha?" he asked, trying to look at her, but she kept turning away. Finally, he sighed and said "Well, I'll talk to you later then." He then walked away to join up with his teammates, not catching the blush on Pyrrha's face at all, which she hoped he wouldn't.

 **Author's Notes: I hope you are enjoying this fanfic so far. If any of you have constructive criticism on what I could do to improve it, then I'll appreciate it.**


	11. CFVY Date

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 11: CFVY Date**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Robin was preparing his attire for the date tonight. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved dress shirt, black slacks and a pair of nice shoes; it was like what he usually wore, but this had a formal feel to it, a feel he wanted for the date with Coco Adel.

"I still can't believe Cardin would do something like that," Math brought up to his teammates. After Jaune defeated the Ursa Major, Ruo-Jian had located the box of Rapier Wasps that had been brought by Team CRDL. In a cowardly attempt to save himself, Sky told Goodwitch about Cardin's plan to get back at Pyrrha by throwing sap at her and then unleashing the Rapier Wasps. Unknown to them, Jaune was meant to be a part of this plan, but in gratitude for saving him, Cardin omitted his involvement. For this atrocious attempt on Pyrrha, Team CRDL was suspended and threatened with expulsion if they ever tried something like this again.

"Team CRDL's in for it now," Nasser replied. "But I don't get how she's not doing the same to Team GOLD. That Gaspar guy's a complete prick."

"Gaspar is, but his teammates are not," Ruo pointed out. "I've met with them several times; they're actually decent people. They were just stuck with a horrible leader."

"Luckily, who won't be at Beacon for much longer," Robin suggested as he putting on his black tie. "From what I hear, he's getting on Ozpin's last nerves."

"He may not be the only one," the White Tiger Faunus said as he looked over at Nasser. The knife wielder looked at his teammate, then in the direction of his gaze. Immediately picking up who he meant, he glared at him.

"Piss off," he replied as he went back to his scroll.

"Nasser, Goodwitch got on you yesterday for your grades," Math brought up. "You heard what she said because she told us as well. If you don't improve, then you won't stay here at Beacon."

"Come on, my grades aren't that bad," Nasser denied once more. A loud groan of frustration left Mathdon's mouth.

"For the love of everything holy, why are you so unwilling to face your faults?" he questioned, having lost his patience with his teammate. "Why do you act like you do nothing wrong, like you have nothing to improve? Just drop your pride already and-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Nasser shouted, rising from his bed. "You're not the boss of me!"

"But I AM team leader!" Math reminded. "Ozpin made me team leader remember?"

"Well, I guess that was just one of his mistakes," the knife wielder replied.

"No," Math replied. "Ozpin's mistake was letting you into Beacon in the first place!"

"He let me here because he knows of how skilled-"

"Oh, shut up!" Math shouted, causing everyone to look at him, his scowl revealing his complete loss of patience. "Ever since you've come here, all you've done is act like you're the greatest warrior among us. One: you were the only one who nearly got killed twice during Initiation because you were too reckless to stop and think. Two: you blatantly ignore any criticism that comes your way and believe you have no room for improvement. Three: you think of fighting as just a game, caring more about having fun than protecting those who need to be protected."

"Don't do that!" Nasser shot back. "I'm not a monster who's going to let people die so I can kill Grimm."

"I didn't say that, but the matters of life and death aren't a game, dammit!" Math called out. "Grow up, Nasser! Stop being such a bullheaded, prideful jackass and face reality!" There was silence for a little while until it was broken by footsteps; Nasser was walking to the door.

"Where are you going?" Math questioned.

"I don't need to hear this," Nasser denied angrily before he stormed out of the room. The swordsman groaned in frustration as he covered his face with his hands.

"He just proved my point," he said. He then looked over at Robin, who had a look of concern on his face, making his cousin feel bad.

"I'm sorry, man," Math apologized. "Tonight's your night with Coco and all we're doing is bickering."

"Don't sweat it," Robin replied. "Besides, Nasser has to change…or we risk becoming a three-man team."

"Nasser's not a bad person," Math replied. "He's…he's just so prideful."

"Well, hopefully the threat of being expelled will be enough to motivate him," Ruo suggested. "For now, all we can do is hope."

"Agreed," Math and Robin said at the same time. The archer finished with his clothes for the date and grabbed a comb for his hair. He looked over at a mirror on the wall and combed until he felt it was perfect. He then turned around to the two teammates present.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"You look good," Math replied. "You seem excited for the date."

"Because I am," Robin responded. "By the end of the date, I'll have swept Coco Adel off her feet and she'll be head over heels in love with me."

"Don't get cocky," Ruo insisted. "Coco agreed to go on a date with you, but that doesn't mean she's agreed to be your girlfriend."

"Just you wait," the archer replied. "By the time I come back, Coco and I will be going on another date." With that, he walked out of the room and went on his way to Team CFVY's dorm.

-0-

"Are you excited about tonight?" Velvet asked her team leader, who was wearing her clothes for tonight: a black off-the-shoulder dress that showed off her curves, gold bracelets and loop earrings and black high heel boots that went up to her knees.

"I have a good feeling about him," Coco replied as she picked up her handbag. "He may be cocky, but he's got charm."

"If he tries anything, just let us know," Fox suggested.

"I appreciate that, Fox," Coco replied with a grateful smile, knowing how much her teammates cared for her.

"Just out of curiosity, Coco, what do you know about him?" Yatsuhashi asked as he taking caring of his oversized sword.

"Remember that guy I slapped the day the first-years came here?" she brought up to her teammates. They were quiet for a little bit; many guys tried to flirt with Coco Adel, but she rarely retaliated by slapping them.

"Him!?" Velvet gasped, having remembered that day. "You're going on a date with him? I thought you…didn't like him."

"Well, at first, I thought he was just some flirtatious punk only interested in skirt chasing," Coco admitted. "However, after he helped out when Cardin was bullying you that one time, I decided to give him a chance. He's not half bad once you get to know him a little." There was a knock on the door; Coco looked at the alarm clock on the desk beside her bed, which read 6:55.

"That would be him," Coco spoke as she walked over to the door and opened it.

Upon seeing Coco's beautiful outfit, Robin's eyes went wide and admired her. He was broken out of it when she asked "What do you think?"

"Wow, you look amazing!" Robin complimented.

"Thank you," Coco replied. "So, you're ready to go?"

"I am," he answered. "You?"

"Let's go," she insisted as she walked out of the dorm. "I'll see you all later tonight." Once she closed the door, Robin extended his arm to her, to which she grabbed onto it.

It took a good ten minutes before they reached the parking garage. Robin pressed the down button and, after entering, pressed for floor 5. When they arrived, the redhaired archer led Coco to his red-colored car. They first approached the passenger side, where Robin opened the door for his date. Coco stepped in, sat down and Robin closed the door.

He got into the driver seat and started the engine. After a few moments, he put the car in drive and drove out of the garage onto the road leading into the city.

"I looked up Monty's," Coco brought up. "It's got quite a good menu."

"And it's a great place for gatherings, dates, families…it can practically serve any occasion," Robin pointed out as he drove with one hand. "You'll enjoy it; I guarantee it."

"I'll take your word for it," the leader of Team CFVY replied. "So…how are things going for your teammates?"

"Everything's fine," Robin answered. "Math and Ruo-Jian are doing fine. Nasser…well, not so well."

"What do you mean?" Coco asked with an eyebrow raised.

"The guy's too prideful to accept any criticism and he's too reckless of a fighter," he explained. "If he doesn't shape up, then by the end of the semester…we're going to be a three-man team, something none of us want."

"Has he been acting this way for a while?" the fashionista asked.

"Ever since the first day we met him," the archer replied, then sighed. "Math has already lost his patience with him and I think Ruo and I are nearly on the same boat." He shook his head.

"Well, that's enough of 'Team MRRN Life at the Moment'." Coco giggled at the archer's comment. In just a few more minutes, Robin pulled up to a tall building with the name "MONTY'S" in blue lights.

"Here we are," Robin said as he opened his door and Coco opened hers. The set of glass doors showed Coco the interior of the restaurant she was going to have dinner with Robin.

There were pictures of various movies, land scenery, actors and Huntsmen on the walls nearly everywhere. There were red booths, tables with sets of four chairs each, and places where some could sit on booths and others on chairs. The interior was lit by lights hanging from the ceiling, each concealed in different shapes and colors, such as blue pyramids, red cubes and green spheres.

"It's a nice place," Coco commented as they walked up to the front desk, where a waiter was waiting.

"Reservation for Robin Kendrick, please," the archer requested. The waiter looked through a checklist, reaching the Ks and looked for 'Kendrick, Robin'.

"Here it is," the waiter brought up. He grabbed two menus and led the two students further into the restaurant.

"Would you like a booth or table?" the waiter asked.

"What would you like?" Robin asked his date.

"I honestly prefer tables," Coco replied.

"We'll take a table, then," the archer answered. The waiter brought them over to a table near a window where they could view the city of Vale.

"Well, what do you think of this place so far?" Robin asked as they sat down.

"It's very nice," Coco responded. "No wonder it's a family favorite of yours."

"I told you you'd like it," Robin cockily said.

"Don't push it," the CFVY member warned with a smirk. By then, a waiter came to the table, gave them utensils and asked for their drinks. Robin ordered a water while Coco ordered a sweet tea.

"So, Coco, how've your teammates been?" Robin started a conversation.

"They're fine," she answered. "Cardin's been laying off Velvet for a good while now after Yatsu and I 'talked' to him about him bullying her."

"So he's leaving her alone?" Robin asked. Coco nodded her head.

"He has for now. Hopefully, he's stop for good." The waiter brought the drinks and asked if they were ready to order; they hadn't even started looking at the menus.

"What would you recommend?" Coco asked Robin as she looked over her menu.

"Well, what kinds of things do you like?" he asked to narrow down the search.

"I like a lot of things," the leader of Team CFVY answered. "However, I think maybe I'll try either chicken or fish tonight." Robin looked at the chicken and fish sections of the menu until one caught his eye.

"They have a seared salmon dish that comes with coleslaw and other vegetables, but you can substitute them for other sides. You'll find them at the back of the menu."

"Thanks," Coco replied as she looked over the menu again. By the time the waiter came back, they knew what they wanted; Coco chose the seared salmon with a house salad and chicken tortilla soup while Robin ordered the Prime Rib Dip with a house salad and side of fries.

"Where'd you train, Robin?" Coco asked curiously.

"West Academy," he answered. "It's located in the Upper-class District. It's a pretty nice place, but it can be hard to find your way around at times. It's where I developed my bow, Sharp Shot."

"Did you make it by yourself?" Coco asked once more. Robin paused for a minute.

"No," he answered. "I had some help from my family. It runs in the family, you know? Being Huntsmen?"

"All of your family were Huntsmen before you?" Coco asked with an interested tone.

"Ever since the Academies have been around," Robin answered. "Even before they were Huntsmen, they were still warriors, so you could say Math and I are literally descended from warriors."

"You and him are really close, huh?" she asked him.

"We are," he confirmed. "We practically grew up together…well, along with Safirlas." Coco raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"His sister, Safirlas," Robin clarified. "She's been going to Haven Academy for the past two years. It'll be good to see her again since the Vytal Festival will be held here in Vale and her team is sure to participate in the Tournament. What about your team?"

"Of course we're going to fight in the Tournament," Coco replied. "My team has been waiting for this since last year. What about your team?"

"Providing Nasser's still with us, then yeah, we'll be in it," Robin answered.

"He's been a real problem, hasn't he?" Coco asked with a bit of sympathy in her voice.

"Well…it's not like he's a troublemaker or bully or anything like that," the archer explained. "He's not learning to be a team player. He's being too prideful to face any type of criticism and he's very reckless. He won't-" He sighed. "He's just being very difficult right now."

"I know that feeling," Coco replied. "When I first became leader of Team CFVY, I had the same problem with Fox."

"Fox?" Robin asked. "Is he the quiet one?" Coco nodded her head.

"When I was first made leader of Team CFVY, Fox…was not very social. He'd always keep his distance from us, he would act like we're just slowing him down and…tell you what, he was real mean to Velvet back then."

"What?" Robin gasped. "Who could act that way towards her? She seems like a very sweet girl."

"Because she is," Coco answered. "Later, Fox turned around and started being not so distant. He's nicer now and he's a hell lot more of a team player, but he's still the quiet one."

"Well, hopefully the same can be done for Nasser," Robin replied in a hopeful tone.

"I'm sure it can," Coco replied.

They continued with their conversation for a while, with Robin sometimes making a cocky remark. Despite this, the leader of Team CFVY found herself being charmed by the archer. In a few more minutes, their dinners were placed in front of them and they started eating.

"You know you're quite the charmer, Robin," Coco complimented before she took a bite out of her salmon.

"Why, thank you," Robin replied with a smirk.

"Don't push it," Coco warned once again. Out of nowhere, liquid was poured onto Robin's head. The perpetrator was a man about Robin's height with the same red hair and eyes with a mustache and beard, poor clothes and a very aggravated scowl. By the way he was acting, it could be assumed that he was drunk.

"What the hell?" Coco gasped, rising from her seat and glaring at the man who had just interrupted them.

"Shut up, bitch," he insulted.

"Don't talk to her like that," Robin growled as he rose from his seat and made eye contact with the man.

"I'll talk to whoever however I want," he replied with a very aggressive tone as he pushed Robin.

"Leave him alone," Coco spoke out as she left her seat and stood between them.

"Get out of the way!" the man shouted as he grabbed Coco's arm and threw her to the ground. By now, everyone was watching what happened. The manager, having called the police, rushed over to them while Robin went over to help Coco off the ground.

"Sir, please calm down," the manager insisted Dearg.

"Get the hell off me!" he shouted as he prepared to punch the manager, but Robin stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

"What is wrong with you, Dearg?" Robin asked; this prompted Dearg to grab Robin by the throat.

"You owe me money and I'm not leaving until I have it," he growled, his free hand forming into a fist. Robin angrily grabbed his hand and forced it off his throat.

"Get out of here and leave us alone," Robin demanded. The man then punched Robin in the face, sending him tumbling onto the table. Coco was prepared to slap the man senseless, but luckily, two police officers had arrived.

"What's going on here?" one of them demanded to know.

"That man just upped and poured liquor on him," Coco explained. "He pushed him and then threw me on the ground. Then he punched the manager and then him."

"We know you," the other officer told the man who had just ruined the date.

"Oh, piss off," Dearg replied. "This has nothing to do with you."

"It does now," the officer said as he pulled a pair of cuffs. "You're under arrest for public intoxication and assault."

"I'm not leaving without my money," Dearg claimed as he turned his attention back to Robin.

"You're coming with us now or we'll add resisting arrest to your charges," the officer warned. "Don't be stupid." Dearg laughed loud in response.

"You're going to let them arrest me again, huh, Robin?" he harassed. "You're going to let the police arrest your own brother again?"

"We are NOT brothers," Robin shot at him as he got up from the table. "We stopped being that years ago." Dearg was about to punch him again until the two officers detained him and placed his hands in the cuffs.

"We're adding resisting arrest, then," he stated as one took Dearg out of the restaurant.

"Do either of you require medical assistance?" the present officer asked.

"We're fine," Robin replied.

"Do you wish to press charges against him, sir?" the officer asked once more. Robin was quiet for a moment, but replied "Yes." With that, the officer left.

Once they were out, two employees went over to clean up the mess that had been caused. Coco checked on Robin to see if he was hurt, but thanks to his Aura, he wasn't badly.

"Are you two alright?" the manager asked Robin and Coco.

"We're fine," Coco replied, seeing that her date was not badly hurt.

"We're terribly sorry about tonight," the manager apologized. "Please, let us pay for your dry cleaning and your meal tonight."

"That's not necessary," Robin replied.

"Please," the manager insisted. "I insist." The archer gave in and agreed. The manager grabbed a piece of paper, wrote down on it with a pen and then handed it to Robin.

"After you've taken it to the dry cleaners, ask them to call this number for payment," the manager instructed. He then walked away to speak with one of the police officers about what had happened.

"What was that all about?" she asked her date. Robin exhaled.

"That…was my brother, Dearg." He looked over at the table to see the remains of what they hadn't eaten had scattered on the floor. The table was almost turned over after Robin had been punched into it.

"That was your brother?" she asked, completely shocked by what had just happened. One minute, she was enjoying the date with a cocky yet charming young man, and the next, some drunkard attacked them.

"I'd rather wait until we get into the car to talk about him," Robin stated. "I'm sorry this date didn't go as planned."

"It's not your fault," Coco replied, putting her hand on his shoulder. "It's his." Robin shook his head in disbelief; of all the things to happen, his brother came out of nowhere and ruined the date for them. It was one of the worst things Robin thought could happen…and it did.

The two exited the restaurant and went back to Robin's car. There was silence for a while, broken when Robin placed his hands on the steering wheel and then his forehead with an immense sigh. He felt Coco place her hand on his back to comfort him.

"Why would he do that?" she asked. Robin sighed as he lifted his head and made eye contact with the leader of Team CFVY.

"Dearg was a student at Beacon Academy, a member of Team FDGU (Feldgrau)," Robin started. "He was a very promising student up until his third year there."

"What happened?" Coco asked, receiving a short moment of quiet from the archer before he answered.

"He and his team were sent on a mission to take care of some Grimm that had been terrorizing a farming village outside Vale. When the ship returned…only my brother came back. His teammates had all been killed." Coco's eyes widened as she nearly gasped.

"That…that's awful."

"It is," Robin agreed. "After that, my brother eventually dropped out of Beacon. He returned home where we thought we could comfort him after what happened…no matter what we did, Dearg became worse by the day. He would mooch money off Dad, refuse to get a job, push us around…that mission ruined my brother." Coco was silent for a minute, taking in everything Robin had said.

"Soon, he started getting jealous about me becoming a Huntsman," he continued. "He would bully me, taunt me, put me down, do whatever he could to discourage me from becoming a Huntsman, but I wouldn't let it stop me. But…I found out later that Dearg was trying to sabotage me."

"Sabotage?" Coco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dearg started spreading rumors that I was blackmailing students into doing my work," Robin explained further. "I was called into the office because of it; luckily, we found out it was just a lie. My brother wouldn't take responsibility for it and lied that he was 'trying to protect me'." He sighed.

"He was just so jealous that I was continuing on with what he dropped, he tried to paint me as some…" Robin didn't know what to say. To this day, it still hurt him that Dearg would do something like this. Coco could see it in his eyes and rubbed his shoulder in the hopes of comforting him.

"Dearg stopped living at the house, but would sometimes come asking for money," he continued. "After the first two or three times, my dad refused. No matter what Dearg said, my dad wouldn't give him any money because of how he was acting; it was unacceptable."

"So he acted like that because he was jealous?" Coco asked.

"No," Robin bluntly answered. "One night, when I came home from West Academy, I found Dearg trying to steal some of Mom's jewelry to sell. I confronted him and he ran out of the house with what jewelry he had. After he ran off…I called the police on him."

"You called the police on him?" Coco gasped.

"He was stealing from us," Robin replied, his usual calm and happy scowl now one of controlled anger.

"I didn't mean it like that," she responded. "I wasn't trying to judge you." This made him calm down as he looked out the front window.

"So many people got on me for doing what I did," Robin said, revealing why he nearly got mad at Coco. "My brother was arrested and charged with robbery since he didn't live at the house anymore. Ever since then, he's blamed me for all the bad things that have happened after that."

Coco honestly had no idea how to react. When she first met Robin, she thought of him as a cocky and flirtatious guy who had his eye on her after several weeks at Beacon. She later realized she had misjudged him as a mere skirt-chaser and started to see him in a better light. Now, she learned that he had a brother who threw his life down the toilet, betrayed his family and blamed Robin for his misfortunes after that event.

"Robin, I…I'm so sorry," Coco spoke in a gentle and comforting tone. There was no response from the red-haired archer; instead, he started the car up and drove out of the parking lot onto the road leading to Beacon. Along the way, he used his scroll to look up dry cleaners, but none of the closer ones were open, so he decided to take care of his shirt tomorrow.

The ride was quiet for the most part. All Robin could think about was how his first date with Coco Adel went horribly wrong. He wanted to enjoy a good dinner date with the beautiful brunette, but then his brother appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything. His usual cocky smile couldn't be brought onto his face for the entire ride to the Beacon parking garage.

The two exited the car and took the elevator back to the dorm buildings, where Robin accompanied Coco to her dorm.

"I'm sorry tonight didn't go as planned," he apologized again.

"Don't blame yourself," she replied. "Before that happened, I really enjoyed the date."

"Really?" Robin asked, his scowl becoming one of happiness.

"Yes," Coco replied. "I'm definitely up for another one when you've got time."

"I'm available all next week," Robin answered.

"What about Wednesday?" Coco suggested.

"That works," the archer agreed. "Have a good night." Before he could leave, Coco grabbed his arm, pulled him to her and placed a kiss on his cheek. Even though the hallway was faintly lit, she could see a huge blush coming up on Robin's cheeks.

"My, my," she teased. "I thought you didn't get nervous around girls."

"Maybe because I haven't been kissed by a girl as beautiful as you," he replied, trying to recollect his cocky demeanor. However, Coco could see through it and giggled.

"Good night," she said as she unlocked the door to her dorm and walked again. Before closing, she winked at Robin again.

The archer was very happy on the inside. The girl he had become attracted to had enjoyed their date together, despite the ugly turn of events caused by his brother. What made it even better was that she wanted to do it again.

He walked down the hallways until he got back to his dorm, using his scroll to unlock it and walk in. Nasser had returned, now asleep with his back turned away from everyone. Mathdon was working on some of his short stories with his earbuds in and Ruo-Jian was finishing the rest of his homework.

"Hey, man," Math greeted after he caught sight of his cousin, removing his earbuds. "How'd the date- What happened to you?" Math and Ruo caught sight of Robin's liquor-stained shirt.

"Some drunk guy just upped and attacked us," Robin answered. "Luckily, he's in cuffs, I'm pressing charges and the manager's going to pay for the dry cleaning."

"Why would someone just attack you?" Ruo asked curiously.

"He was drunk and angry," the archer replied. "I don't more than that." While this fooled Ruo, Math could immediately deduce who it was that ruined their date.

"It was Dearg, wasn't it?" the swordsman asked his cousin.

"It was," Robin confirmed.

"Son of a bitch, why can't he just leave you alone?" Math growled. Ruo was confused on what was being discussed at the moment.

"Who's Dearg?" he asked.

"My brother," Robin replied.

"So your brother just upped and poured liquor on you?" Nasser asked, having been awoken by the conversation.

"He and I do not have a good relationship in ANY way," Robin replied. "Luckily, the manager's paying for our meals and for my dry cleaning."

"Well, that's good," Math said.

"Can we talk about this some other time?" the archer requested. "I'm tired and I'd like to go to bed." His teammates backed off and went to their own bunks while Robin grabbed some of his spare clothes, bathroom stuff and a towel and went off to the showers.

It was around 9:35 when Robin washed up and returned to his dorm. The guys looked at him with concern in their eyes, but the archer smiled and shook his head.

"Well, on the bright side, Coco and I are going on a second date," he brought up to lighten the mood.

"Nice," Math replied. With that, the archer placed his date shirt on the drawer, the manager's note with it and then walked over to his bunk to lay down.

He thought about how he would make the next day much better than this one. He wanted it to be better and he was going to. This occupied his mind until he went to sleep.


	12. White Tiger, Sun Dragon

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 12: White Tiger, Sun Dragon**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **Notice: I'm sorry this chapter took longer than usual. My computer was damaged and I had to type using a tablet (which I'm not used to). Then I got sick and didn't have the energy to write for a while. Enjoy!**

Ruo-Jian was training in the gym against the practice bots, his clawed gauntlets infused with Fire Dust to burn through the metal. His training session left the bots in a heap of burnt metal and seared circuits.

"No wonder these Atlesian Knights are being replaced," he thought to himself as he clawed through another one. "These models go down too easily."

One of the bots brandished a blade and swung at Ruo; he deflected the attack with his left hand and then clawed the bot in half, severing its torso from its legs. Another one attacked, but the White Tiger Faunus dodged the attack and delivered two claw slashes at different sides of the head. Before he could attack another bot with a downward slash, they stopped.

"What?" he wondered.

"Move aside," Gaspar demanded, having stopped Ruo's session. "I have to sharpen my skills, remember? Or do you even understand what I'm saying, animal?" Ruo's eyes narrowed at the Dorado heir with a controlled anger.

"You do realize I was using this, right?" the White Tiger Faunus pointed out.

"Oh, please, how could an animal train to become a Huntsman?" Gaspar condescended. "Besides, it's obvious that you were doing poorly."

"Don't push me, Dorado," Ruo-Jian warned, a bit of growling in his tone. "You're not the only one who matters here."

The White Tiger Faunus was not one to be quick to anger, but Gaspar Dorado was doing a very good job of pushing him to lose his temper. Even after everything that had happened, he still behaved as the same spoiled, arrogant, egotistical, and selfish brat as when they first met. The Dorado heir turned around and made eye contact with Ruo-Jian, his own eyes narrowed to show his hatred of being challenged.

"Listen to me, you filthy feline," he snarled, pointing his rapier at him. "You will not talk to me like that. I am the only student here who matters; anyone else is second-rate. The Faunus…they don't belong here. They have no place among expert warriors like me. Why don't you do yourself a favor, leave Beacon and go to the Dust Mines where you belong?"

Ruo grabbed the blade of Gaspar's rapier tightly, refusing to let go as the Dorado tried to pull it from his grasp. The Faunus yanked it out of his hands and tossed it out of the training area.

"You think you're the only one who matters, but you're not," he calmly yet angrily stated. "You are selfish, arrogant, egotistical and blame everyone else for your problems. You abuse the Dorado name just because you think you're above everyone else. It is YOU that doesn't belong here at Beacon; a spoiled, selfish, egotistical brat."

Gaspar's eyes widened in shock, completely hating what Ruo had just said about him. In his mind, no one had the right to challenge him and tell him off like that.

"You…do not…talk back to me," Gaspar angrily replied as he raised his hand to strike the Faunus. However, Ruo caught his wrist and tightened his grip on it, forcing him onto his knees. Several students caught sight of what was going on, but it didn't phase the Faunus martial artist.

"That's what you always do, right?" the Faunus growled, ignoring the pain the Dorado heir was in. "You believe yourself above the rules. Everyone is expected to let you do whatever you want. Every girl must be ready to throw themselves onto you and appease you however you want. Everyone you harass is expected to just let you say whatever you want about them. Everyone is expected to get on their hands and knees and treat you like a king."

"Let me go!" the Dorado heir demanded.

"Whenever someone dares to not let you have your way, you get violent, short-tempered and do what you can to hurt them, just like you did to Team RWBY," Ruo continued. "This is not your manor. These students are not your servants and you are NOT above any of us. Hurt me, hurt my teammates or friends again, and you won't have to worry about Mathdon hurting you or Ozpin punishing you because I'll do it first. Now get out!" He then threw Gaspar out of the training area, followed by his rapier.

The look on Gaspar's face could be described in one word: shock. Almost his entire life, because of his family name, no one had ever dared to speak to him like that. Now, a Faunus, a creature lower than a human being, a creature that belonged in the Dust Mines, a creature…no, a freak, had the gall to tell him off in public. After he processed everything that had happened, his scowl changed from shock to anger.

"I'll have your head for this, you worthless animal!" he shouted as he grabbed his rapier and rushed out of the training area. Ruo-Jian shook his head in disbelief as he watched the Dorado heir run.

"Pathetic," he growled.

After finishing his training for the day, the White Tiger decided to go and catch up on some work at the library. As he was walking, he felt someone grab his arm. Suspecting Gaspar Dorado, he nearly went for a gut punch until he realized that the person who stopped him was Yang.

"Whoa, what was that about?" she asked, letting go of him.

"I'm sorry," Ruo apologized. "Gaspar came by the training area earlier, disrupted my session and then condescended to me. I told him off and he said 'I'll have your head for this!' before he ran off." Yang sighed heavily.

"Geez, when will he stop?" she groaned.

"He won't," Ruo replied. "He's too arrogant and selfish to consider changing. So, what did you want to see me for, Yang?" The blonde brawler's face brightened.

"I'm glad you asked," she replied with a comedic tone. "I noticed that you're such a workaholic."

"Well, I did come to Beacon to become a Huntsman," Ruo-Jian replied. "In order to become that, I need to put work before pleasure."

"Oh, come on, everyone needs to have fun," Yang insisted.

"But too much of it won't help," Ruo argued. "Is there something you'd like to say?"

"I know what you need," Yang claimed.

"I need to go to the library and-" Yang cut him off by grabbing his arm and leading him away.

"No, you need to have some fun for once," she replied, not giving him a chance to get away from her grip.

"Where are we going?" Ruo demanded to know as Yang led him.

"To the parking garage and then heading into town," the blonde brawler answered, still pulling him by his arm.

"We're doing this, why?" the White Tiger asked.

"Because everyone needs fun in their lives and it's obvious you don't have much," Yang replied. "Therefore, as your friend, I'm going to help you."

"You can help me by letting go of my arm," Ruo replied as he struggled get free of Yang's grasp, but she was unnaturally strong; it almost felt like he was being dragged by Mathdon, knowing how strong he was.

"No, I can help you by making you have some fun," Yang replied with her usual, bright smile.

"Has anyone ever told you you're very stubborn?" the Faunus asked.

"Sometimes," Yang answered enthusiastically. "It's part of my charm." In just a few minutes, they had finally reached the parking garage elevator. As they waited, Ruo finally managed to get his arm free from Yang's grasp.

"Yang, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I need to-" Before he could walk, Yang wrapped her arm around his neck.

"Nuh uh, no friend of mine is going to be some no-fun bore!" Yang claimed.

"A 'no-fun bore'?" Ruo asked as he struggled to get free of Yang. "I may not be outgoing like you are, but I'm not boring."

"Yeah, you are," Yang pointed out, much to the White Tiger's annoyance. "It is my duty to cure my friends when they're boring."

"Even if it means dragging them by their arms against their will?" Ruo questioned the bold brawler of RWBY.

"Not all the time, but only when I need to," Yang answered just as the elevator door opened up. She brought Ruo-Jian into the elevator with her, but let go of his head finally.

"Please don't do that again," the Faunus asked, rubbing his neck. The elevator went down to the parking garage where it stopped at the third floor. It opened up and Yang stepped out first, grabbing a hold of Ruo's wrist and bringing him with her.

" _This woman's going to kill me,"_ the Tiger thought to himself. Yang led them to a yellow and black motorcycle parked near the exit. She put one helmet on her head along with some aviators and tossed the other one to Ruo-Jian.

"Before I get on, where are we going?" the White Tiger asked the blonde brawler.

"Hop on and see for yourself," Yang insisted, patting the backseat of her motorcycle. Rio sighed, knowing that there was no arguing with this girl, and put the helmet on.

"If anything bad happens to me, I'm blaming you," he warned as he got onto the backseat.

"Trust me; you'll enjoy this," Yang replied. "By this evening, you will be thanking me for doing this."

"You mean dragging me against my will?" he asked.

"Will you stop being such a sourpuss?" Yang demanded with annoyance in her tone. "Now hang on." Ruo was about to refuse, but Yang started the motorcycle and drove off, making the White Tiger instinctively wrap his arms around the Driver's torso.

During the entire drive, Yang sped through the streets of Vale, easily going over the speed limit.

"How are you liking it so far?" she asked as she made a sharp turn, almost making the Faunus lose his grip.

"Can you slow down before you send me flying into a wall?" Ruo asked. Obviously, Yang didn't listen.

In a short time, Yang and Ruo-Jian arrived at a shady looking building, where loud music could be heard.

"Is this a club?" the White Tiger Faunus asked.

"Sure is," Yang replied.

"You do realize that we're too young to enter this place, right?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow at the blonde brawler.

"The owner knows me," she assured. "Trust me."

Ruo-Jian didn't like this. He knew Yang to be a bit of a daredevil, but he didn't expect her to be so okay with outright breaking the rules.

"If we're caught and we get in trouble, you're taking the blame," the Tiger Faunus warned.

"Fair enough," Yang replied, knowing that she made Ruo come here. The two approached the building, with Yang in front as she was more familiar with the place.

"How exactly do you know the owner here?" the Faunus asked. "Is he a relative of yours?"

"Not a relative, just a friend," the blonde brawler answered. "I came here before I went to Beacon for some… stuff." Ruo could sense her hesitation, figuring she was here before not for drinks, but for something else, but he dropped it for the moment.

As they approached the door, the music grew louder and louder until they walked through revealing a disco room, faintly lit by white and red lights and dozens of people on the dance floor. On the left side was a bar with several long shelves of drinks with a very tall, bulky man in attire similar to most of the men here.

"She's back!" one of the guys in suits panicked. Almost all of the suited men rushed to the entrance, brandishing guns on the two students. This shocked Ruo as he took a fighting stance; even though he didn't have Huzhao with him, he was perfectly capable without them.

"I thought you said the owner was your friend," Ruo-Jian asked Yang.

"He is," the blonde replied.

"Then why are his guys pointing guns at us?" he questioned.

"Nobody fire!" a deep voice commanded. The man from behind the bar broke r through the crowd of armed men and acted surprised to see Yang.

"Blondie?" he asked. "Why are you here?"

"I promised to help my friend have some fun, so I brought him here," Yang answered. She then turned to face Ruo-Jian and gestured for him to follow her down the stairs. However, the Faunus stopped in front of the man in charge of the place.

"How do you know her?" he asked.

"She's a friend," he answered hesitantly. Before he could ask another question, Ruo was pulled away by Yang to the bar.

"Two strawberry sunrises, no ice… and make sure to remember those little umbrellas," Yang ordered.

"And a glass of water as well," Ruo added. The new bartender went off to make the drinks, leaving Yang and Ruo-Jian alone.

"So, where are you from?" she asked the member of MRRN.

"Mistral," the White Tiger Faunus answered.

"What made you come to Beacon?" Yang asked with curiosity in her voice.

"I don't have some of the best memories back there," he answered again. "I'd like to leave it at that."

"Hey, you can tell me," Yang insisted with a calming voice, putting her hand on Ruo's back. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Yang, you're going to have to accept no as an answer for this one," the Faunus replied. His tone was far more serious than normal, making Yang back off. His reaction gave her the hint that whatever happened in Mistral was something that he wouldn't tell on a whim. Just then, two strawberry sunrises were placed in front of them along with a glass of water.

"Enjoy," Yang said as she started sipping some of her drink. Ruo reached for the strawberry sunrise and inspected it for a little bit. He wasn't used to drinking alcohol, so this was a first for him. He exhaled and took a sip; his face screwed up from the bitter taste.

"Is this your first time having alcohol?" Yang asked, giggling at his reaction.

"Well, considering we are underage, yes," he answered. "I've never even had a sip of alcohol before."

"Let me guess: you were too busy studying and training?" she asked once more. Ruo shook his head.

"No, I've never had a reason to drink before."

"Try a little more," the bold blonde insisted. "It gets better after the first taste." Ruo decided to take Yang's advice and took another sip from his strawberry sunrise. The taste was much better this time; there was still some bitterness, but he could taste some sweetness as well.

"See?" Yang smirked. Ruo finally cracked a smile at her and nodded his head.

"There's a smile," she pointed out. The two continued with their drinks. In a short while, they asked for another round.

"So Ruby said that Ozpin let her in two years early, right?" Ruo asked after starting his second drink.

"Yeah, but she doesn't know why," Yang answered. "Not that I have a problem with it. It's great to see my sister coming to Beacon with me."

"How's she been doing as team leader?" the Tiger asked. "I know there was a bit of dislike between her and Weiss for a while."

"Weiss has gotten better," Yang informed. "I mean, she's still a bitchy at times, but overall, she's making strides. As for Ruby, she's doing a good job as team leader. What about Math?"

"He's doing fine," he replied. "I think he'd do better if Nasser wasn't acting like a complete jerk… or if he confessed his feelings to Pyrrha."

"I know, right?" Yang agreed. "I mean, it's so obvious that he likes her… and she's starting to like him."

"Really?" he asked.

"After he hugged her in the Forever Fall forest after what happened with Team CRDL, she was blushing so red, her face looked like it was going to explode. She likes him."

After finishing their second drinks, they moved onto their third. Yang started to wonder if bringing him here was a good idea, considering how fast he was getting drunk and they were only on their third drink.

"Yang, you were right," Ruo said clumsily, the alcohol taking effect. "I'm having a great time here. You're… you're an angel, you know that, right? It's no wonder I've started liking you." Yang's eyes widened at what she just heard from the White Tiger Faunus; he just openly, yet drunkenly admitted his feelings for her.

"You like me?" she asked, only being a bit tipsy.

"I mean, you're funny, you're beautiful, you're kind, you're caring…" He started to trail off as he finished off his third drink. "On top of that, you've got a smoking hot body." Yang blushed at Ruo's comment, but it immediately disappeared as she noticed him reaching to grab the bartender's attention, making her stop him.

"Geez, you're only on your third drink and you're already acting drunk," Yang exclaimed. "You are a real lightweight when it comes to drinking, aren't you?" Ruo chuckled at the blonde.

"Well, I obviously don't drink as much as you do," he replied. "But I can still handle a few more drinks."

"No, you're done," she refused adamantly. "Let's get you back."

"Hey, what about the drinks?" the bartender demanded.

"Put them on my tab," Yang answered as she helped her Faunus friend out of the nightclub. She was completely amazed by how funny and open he was acting under the influence of alcohol, a contrast to the usual stoic and serious Ruo-Jian she knew.

"I mean what I say, Yang," Ruo drunkenly brought up. "You are easily the most beautiful girl I've ever met. I think I like you the same way Math likes Pyrrha."

"It took you getting drunk to say that?" she teased as she slowly helped him down the stairs outside of the nightclub.

"I figured you wouldn't be interested in someone like me," the Faunus responded. "You're so outgoing and fun-loving while you think of me as a no-fun bore."

"Well, I guess you're not that boring," the blonde replied reluctantly.

"I wish you liked me that way." The Faunus's smile started to fade away, which Yang noticed. Tears started to form in his eyes, prompting Yang to gently place him against the wall so they could look clearly at each other.

"You should hate me!" Ruo shouted, turning his head away. Yang could see some tears rolling down his cheeks. She reached to pet his ears, hoping it would calm him down, but something caught her eye, something she hadn't seen before.

There were several small scars on the back of his ears, as if they had been viciously pulled. She noticed another one on his back, making her pulled his shirt to show a scar going from his shoulder to his back.

"Who did this to you?" Yang asked with concern in her voice.

"My mother," Ruo replied. "She started doing this to me after she made me join the White Fang."

Yang was taken by surprise by what she just heard, her eyes widened and her mouth open in shock.

"My mother made me join the White Fang when I was 13 years old," the Faunus explained. "After my father was killed, she was convinced that humans and Faunus couldn't coexist, so she joined the White Fang and forced me in as well."

"You were a member of the White Fang?" Yang asked. "And your mother did this to you?"

"I wouldn't adopt her ideals of violence, so whenever I showed 'weakness' in her eyes, she would beat me, taunt me, starve me…I can't even remember her was the kind and loving woman she was before we joined the White Fang."

"Are you saying I should hate you for being abused by your mother?" Yang questioned.

"You should hate me because I was a member of the White Fang," he responded. "Back then, the White Fang meant something, but now… they've become nothing but a bunch of racists, murderers, hypocrites and liars. I was a part of that!" At this point, he was almost bawling, revealing the trauma his mother and time in the White Fang had caused him.

Yang reacted by wrapping both of her arms around him, trying her best to comfort him. He eventually returned the embrace by gently grabbing one of Yang's arms and crying into it.

After a few minutes of this, Ruo's eyes were finally clear of tears. He looked over to Yang with a genuine smile before closing the gap between them. Yang's eyes widened from the kiss Ruo-Jian had planted on her lips. Before she could sink into it, Ruo pulled away.

"What was that?" Yang asked, completely surprised by how Ruo-Jian was acting.

"I thought… it meant…I…" He was slurring at this moment and fell onto Yang's shoulder. She was about to check on him, but halted when she heard snoring.

"Okay, if I ever bring him back here, I need to teach him to hold his liquor," she decided as she picked up the Faunus, put him on Bumblebee and drove back to Beacon Academy. She had to drive at a careful enough speed on the way there, much to her annoyance, or she'd risk throwing her friend.

On the way there, Yang processed everything that Ruo-Jian had said. He had practically confessed his feelings for the blonde brawler, but felt that she would never accept him due to their conflicting personalities. From where she looked, he was right.

She was an outgoing, friendly and had somewhat of a daredevil personality. She was a thrill seeker, living for the moment and sometimes didn't consider the consequences.

Ruo-Jian was stoic, calm, collected and wasn't much of a talker, except when spoken to, to state his opinion or remind others not to disregard their studies. However, underneath it all looked like a sad and lonely soul, something she could definitely relate to.

She couldn't help but feel sympathy for the White Tiger Faunus. Despite his tendency to be very serious and stoic, he seemed like a very good-natured person. Just knowing how he really felt about how people should feel about him made her feel more for him.

It was a short while before they arrived at the Beacon parking garage. Yang slung the Faunus over her shoulder and walked over to the elevator.

Upon reaching the school grounds, Yang was careful not to let anyone see Ruo-Jian in his drunken state. She was constantly checking for the clearest path to take her down to avoid being seen.

"What's up with him?" a familiar voice asked. Yang quickly turned around to see Blake with a book in her hand.

" _Geez, she really is a ninja,"_ the blonde brawler thought to herself.

"Is he… drunk?" Blake asked, noticing the smell of alcohol on him.

"Well… he had a little more than he should've," Yang answered.

"Never thought I'd see him like this," Blake commented.

"Blake, please don't tell anyone he got drunk," Yang asked, but was met with silence from her teammate.

"I'll buy you a salmon dinner."

"Okay," Blake replied as she walked off, but not before saying "None of Ruo's teammates are in their dorm right now. It's safe to take him there."

"Thanks for the heads-up, Blake," Yang thanked as she slung the Tiger Faunus's arm over her shoulders and continued her way to Team MRRN's dorm room.

It didn't take long and, luckily, no one else caught Yang with her drunk friend. She entered the dorm building when she heard footsteps coming from around the corner. She quickly found a closet to hide in, leaving the door slightly open to make sure the person was out of sight. Much to her ire, it was Gaspar Dorado… and he was obviously mad.

"Who does that filthy Faunus think he is?" he growled. "How dare he humiliate me like that in front of everyone. How dare he and his entire team think themselves better than me. No one is better than me; not Pyrrha Nikos, not the professors, not even Ozpin…none of them are better than me. I'll show that Faunus… I'll make him regret humiliating me like that." He then stomped off.

"Just when I thought I couldn't hate him more," Yang whispered. She waited until he was out of sight and then got out of the closet, carrying Ruo on her back. When she approached the dorm, she searched Ruo for his scroll…while also feeling a few of his toned muscles.

"Man, he really works out," Yang commented. She continued feeling his muscles for a little bit until she heard footsteps again. She checked his pockets for his scroll, used it to unlock the door and quickly went inside.

She placed the White Tiger Faunus on his bed, hearing him moan a little before he went back to snoring. Out of curiosity about what he said about his mother earlier, Yang slowly lifted his robe to inspect the remainder of his torso. What she saw shocked her.

There were scars, stab wounds, and a few burns on his arms and torso. She didn't want to believe that his mother alone did this, but after seeing the way he broke down, she had to believe it.

"Do his teammates know about this?" she wondered as she brought his robe back. After making sure Ruo was in a comfortable position, she got up and walked over to the door with a worried expression for the Faunus.

What had started as a way to introduce some fun into Ruo's life at Beacon had turned into learning about something very dark and tragic about him.


	13. What Pride Can Cost

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 13: What Pride Can Cost**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Mathdon was sitting on a bench, continuing to work on his short stories on his laptop. While doing so, he was listening to more of Voyage from his scroll using his ear buds.

This particular story, however, was being made specifically for Pyrrha. She had said several days ago that some of her favorite genres for reading was romance and adventure. He was keeping it hidden from his teammates though, knowing that if they knew why he was writing this story, the teasing he received would increase tenfold. His mojo stopped when he felt a tap on his shoulder; he took his ear buds out and looked over to see Pyrrha.

"Hey, Pyrrha," the swordsman greeted.

"Hello," she replied as she sat down next to him. "Are you working on your short stories?"

"I am," Math answered. "What did you think of the last one you read?"

"I enjoyed it," she replied. "Is this one ready?"

"Not yet," the swordsman responded hesitantly. "So, has Cardin been giving you any trouble ever since he came back?"

"He's done nothing," the redhead replied. "I still can't believe he'd do something like that just because I answered a question he couldn't." She was absolutely appalled by Cardin's actions; while he was not as hated as Gaspar, the group still disliked him due to his racism and arrogance. To attempt something like that on her over something so small…Pyrrha had no words to describe her disgust towards him for all he had done. Luckily, ever since they returned from their suspension, they had left Teams MRRN, RWBY and JNPR alone.

"From what I heard, he and his teammates got quite an earful from Goodwitch," Math mentioned.

"They should," Pyrrha agreed. "First, they bully Jaune and..." She cut herself off and exhaled.

"Hey, Pyrrha?" Math asked. "What's your schedule tomorrow?"

"I don't have classes tomorrow if that's what you're asking," Pyrrha answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I know a good coffee joint in Vale, not too far from the airship docks," he explained. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like, we could go tomorrow morning and get some."

Pyrrha blushed a little. It sounded to her that Mathdon was asking her on a date, which she could consider it one. After all, it would be nice to spend a bit of time with him…alone, together.

"That sounds lovely," she answered. "What time did you have in mind?"

"Well, the transports don't start until 7, I think," the swordsman responded. "I was thinking maybe between we could leave between 8:30 and 9?"

"Sounds agreeable," she agreed. The redhead turned her head and blushed before asking "Math…will it be just the two of us?"

This question threw Math off a little. He didn't know why she would ask this; he did say 'we', as in 'me and you'.

"I was thinking that," he answered. "That alright with you?"

"I'd enjoy getting coffee with you tomorrow," she replied. "Actually, we could spend some time together now if you'd like."

"What did you have in mind?" Math asked.

"Well, I know you mentioned earlier that you were having problems in science," Pyrrha brought up. "Science is actually one of my specialties. We could study together in the library if you like."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Mathdon agreed as he saved his story and shut off his laptop. The two walked together to the library, unaware that two pairs of eyes, one lilac and the other light blue, were watching them from a nearby tree.

"It's about time," Nora commented.

"I didn't know he had it in him," Yang agreed. "I would've gone bigger, but it's still a date."

"Did you see the way Pyrrha was blushing?" Nora pointed out. "Aw, that's so-" A creaking noise could be heard from where the branch was attached to the tree. The two girls looked at each other before the branch fell to the ground, creating a loud crashing noise.

-0-

"Yes, Professor?" Nasser asked as he had been called to Ozpin's office, with Goodwitch present.

"Professor Goodwitch has informed me that you're not doing so well in your classes except combat class," Ozpin brought up. "You've received a few notices about it and you don't do anything about it."

"With all due respect, Professor, I don't see what anything other than fighting has anything to do with being a Huntsman," Nasser replied. "Isn't a Huntsman's job to fight the Grimm?"

"Yet how are we supposed to be prepared to fight them when we learn nothing about them?" Ozpin pointed out. "You are a very skilled fighter, Mr. Achdarr, but strength is not a substitute for knowledge. You cannot hope to disregard your studies and teammates and hope to become a professional Huntsman."

"I'm better off on my own," Nasser claimed. "I don't need help from them. Besides, with all due respect, the only thing we need to know about the Grimm is that we can defeat them."

"How exactly do you defeat an enemy when you know nothing about them?" Ozpin questioned. "What toxin does a Death Stalker discharge from its stinger?" Nasser was quiet for a little bit.

"It's a neurotoxin that renders its prey unable to move in the matter of a few minutes," the Headmaster informed. "What Grimm makes up for its lack of speed with the ability to camouflage?" Nasser thought for a moment about any Grimm that had the ability to camouflage, but none came to mind.

"The Ironshell Grimm has an impenetrable shell allows it to camouflage so it can attack unsuspecting prey, which it needs because it has very slow leg movement," Ozpin informed once more. "Which Grimm has been recorded as one of the fastest-?"

"Raptors," Nasser answered proudly.

"In the water?" Ozpin finished. Nasser's proud smile dropped as he thought for a minute.

"The Cocodril is recorded as one of the fastest Grimm in the water, able to swim up to 50 mph," Ozpin informed. "You would've known these things if you were paying attention in class." Nasser frowned, disliking how his pride had been bruised.

"If you had gone up against a Death Stalker alone and got stung, if the Grimm didn't kill you, the toxin would if you didn't have the right antitoxin at hand," the Headmaster informed of the likely scenario. "If you-"

"I get it," Nasser interrupted. "I'll know those things when I go up against them."

"But you need to learn everything you can before you're ready to face all the Grimm out there," Ozpin replied. "There are far worse Grimm than the ones you encountered in the Emerald Forest… and, to be blunt, if you were to go up against them now, you would be dead, especially if you fought them alone."

"I know how to fight, Professor Ozpin," the member of Team MRRN claimed, turning his attention to Goodwitch. "You saw me mop the floor with almost every combatant I went up against in combat class."

"Bur the few you lost were because of your recklessness and lack of strategy," Goodwitch brought up. "Along with that, you're unwilling to heed the criticisms of others, especially that of your professors. What is causing all of this… is your pride."

"What's wrong with having pride in being a Huntsman?" the knife user asked.

"Having pride in your work is one thing," Ozpin answered. "But the pride you have forbids you from accepting criticism or believing you need to improve. You believe yourself to be at the top of your game in terms of being a warrior, but you're not."

"Hey, come on!" Nasser replied. "If I didn't have what it takes to be a Huntsman, I wouldn't have passed the Initiation."

"Speaking of the Initiation, do you remember what your teammates told you?" Goodwitch asked. Nasser thought for a minute, but rolled his eyes after remembering what she meant.

"You were the only member of Team MRRN to nearly die…twice," the Headmaster pointed out. "The first time is when you were being constricted by the King Taijitu; Robin had to save you. The second time is when you rushed the Raptors and you were pinned down; if it weren't for your teammates, you wouldn't be here."

"Alright, so they got the drop on me," Nasser admitted. "That doesn't mean it will happen again." Ozpin nodded.

"You're right," he replied. "What may happen next time is you recklessly charging into a fight you cannot win and your teammates won't be able to help you."

"You cannot seriously be calling me stupid, are you?" Nasser asked with an offended tone. He knew he wasn't the best student, but he refused to be seen as stupid.

"I never said that," Ozpin responded. "You seem like a bright young man, but you must let go of your pride and take your studies seriously… or I'll have no choice but to kick you out of Beacon." Nasser's reaction was full of shock, hearing the Headmaster say that he was now close to being made to leave Beacon.

"I can't afford to be kicked out," the knife wielder claimed. "I need to become a Huntsman… for my family."

The room was silent for a few moments. Nasser had never said anything about his family in the now three months he had been here at Beacon. Up until now, Ozpin was starting to think that Nasser was here on an ego trip just like Gaspar and Cardin, but those feelings were now thrown out of the window.

"For your family?" the Headmaster asked. "That's why you wish to become a Huntsman?"

"My family are living, barely getting by and it's all my brother's fault!" Nasser growled. This piqued the two professors' curiosity.

"What did your brother do, Mr. Achdarr, if you don't mind me asking?" Ozpin asked. Nasser was silent for a minute until he replied with "Will this stay between us?" Ozpin nodded his head in assurance. The knife wielder sighed and slouched into his chair.

"My father died several years ago when my family lived in Vacuo," he started. "After he died, we moved to Vale and waited for his inheritance, but the day we were to receive it, my brother, Cassim…" Tears started to form in Nasser's eyes and a few sniffles were heard.

"My brother betrayed us!" he shouted out. "He made off with all of the money for himself and left us with nothing! When I called him, he talked about how the money was his and refused to share any of it. My family and I had to limp on ever since. My mom and sister depended on me to do so much stuff while Cassim's up in the Upper-Class District, living luxuriously." He turned his head away from the two professors to hide the scowl of betrayal and hurt Nasser had been forced to endure.

"So…are you afraid that your teammates will betray you?" Ozpin asked gently.

"Oh, come on, they may get on my nerves, but I know that they wouldn't betray me the way my brother did," Nasser dismissed. "I can tell that they're not in it just for the money."

Ozpin thought back to what Nasser had said. His father had died while in Vacuo, his family moved here to Vale, his brother stole their inheritance money, leaving his mother and sister to… The Headmaster believed he understood what was going on with the knife user.

"You said that what your brother did made your family rely on you quite a bit," Ozpin brought up. "Is it not just pride, but you don't want to rely on others?"

"Trust me, I learned that I'm better off depending on no one but myself," Nasser replied. "They won't always be here."

"That doesn't mean you cannot rely on them," Goodwitch insisted. "I'm sorry for what happened, but you're letting this get in the way of your progress. You're intelligent, you're strong, but you're letting these things hold you back. And if you don't change-"

"My grades aren't that bad," Nasser interrupted. "I'm doing well enough to pass."

"You're barely getting by," Ozpin corrected. "This is Beacon Academy, the most prestigious Huntsman Academy in Vale. Doing well enough to barely get by is not enough here and it certainly won't be enough for the real world. If you think Beacon is hard, wait until you see the real world. This Academy will be mere child's play compared to out there."

"I'm tired of listening to everyone talking about what I need to do!" Nasser shouted, rising from his seat. "The only thing I need to do is become a Huntsman so I can help my family."

"And what good will you be to your family if you get killed because you're unwilling to correct your mistakes?" Ozpin questioned. "Mr. Achdarr, I'm sorry for the pain you've been forced to endure, but you cannot let that hinder you. You cannot make it through Beacon alone."

"I can try," Nasser rejected his advice. Ozpin sighed at how his attempts to convince the young man to change his ways for the better were falling on deaf ears.

"You have the potential to be a great Huntsman," the Headmaster spoke. "But, if you do not heed my advice, then your time here in Beacon will not be long." Nasser got up from his chair.

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked.

"You may leave, but please consider what I've said," Ozpin insisted. The member of Team MRRN walked to the elevator, pushed the button and entered.

Nasser was one who relied on himself a lot growing up due to his family needing him to step up and help more since their father died and Cassim stole the money that was meant for all of them. He learned that he wouldn't always be able to rely on people for help, so he wouldn't bother at all. Unfortunately, this had developed into a prideful arrogance that refused to let him accept criticism and belief that the only thing that mattered when it came to being a Huntsman was physical skill.

He didn't want to rely on his teammates, not because he thought they were weak, but because they wouldn't always be willing to help him. Mathdon, Robin and Ruo-Jian wouldn't always be there to help, but it didn't matter. He could make it on his own.

-0-

"Will he listen to us?" Glynda asked Ozpin.

"I hope so," he answered. "Nasser has the potential to be a great Huntsman. But he needs to let go of his pride. It'd be such a waste."

"What about Mr. Dorado?" Goodwitch asked the Headmaster, knowing they needed to discuss the issue. "He's becoming more of a problem by the day."

"If he goes too far, then I'll do what I must," Ozpin replied.

"Even if it means making an enemy of Richard Dorado?" Goodwitch questioned. While she certainly didn't approve of Richard asking them to keep Gaspar's punishments to a minimum, she acknowledged that he was a very influential individual in Vale. If they expelled Gaspar from Beacon, they risked getting on Richard's bad side since he was still under investigation of the Dust robberies.

"I value having a good relationship with him, but if Gaspar goes too far, he must be punished properly," Ozpin stated. "As I told him, I let some things slide because I know the difference between making mistakes growing up and plain, unacceptable behavior. He cannot expect me to allow him to remain here if he doesn't correct his behavior, which I must say, is possibly the worst I've ever seen."

"No argument there," Glynda agreed.

"For now, all we can do is wait," Ozpin claimed.

-0-

"And that's how I bested the Boarbatusk with my bare hands," Port brought his another one of his usual boring stories to a conclusion. At this point, everyone had lost interest in the story, including Robin Kendrick and Jaune Arc.

"Come on, 2:00, ring already," the redhead archer begged silently. After a few more minutes, the bell rang.

"Alright, students, remember that we have a test next time, so don't forget to study," Port informed. "Class dismissed." Everyone flooded out of the classroom, relieved that they were done with Port for the day. By no means was he was a horrible teacher, but his stories were SO boring.

"Geez, almost every time I come here, Port always has to come up with another story," Robin said to Jaune as they walked. "They're as bad as Yang's puns."

"Better not let Yang hear that," the leader of JNPR warned. "You know how she gets riled up when someone disses her puns."

"Don't remind me," Robin replied. "That chick's got a temper." As they walked, they could hear arguing from around the corner. They looked and saw Gaspar arguing with his teammate, Linen Douglas, who was the smart one of the team.

"I failed that test because of you!" Gaspar growled, pointing at Linen. "All I asked was that you help me!"

"You asked me to do your work for you while you did nothing!" his teammate shouted. "I am so damn tired of you always doing whatever you want and then blaming us for your failures while you take all the credit!"

"I deserve all the credit because not only am I team leader, but I'm the best student here," Gaspar barked. "If I tell you to do something, you will do it without complaint!"

"I'm done with you!" Linen shouted as he began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" the Dorado demanded to know.

"I'm going to Ozpin and requesting a team transfer," Linen replied. "I'm done being treated like a pack mule by you, like I don't matter!"

"Because you don't!" the Dorado shouted, much to everyone's shock. "The only reason you mattered here was because of me! Without me, you, Orchid and Luke are worthless! I alone made this team!"

Linen's face was one of absolute disgust and contempt. He had been putting up with his selfish team leader for so long that it had become unbearable.

Gaspar always demanded respect, yet gave none in return. Gaspar would talk about rules for the team, yet wouldn't follow them. Gaspar would ignore them if he committed any wrong against them, yet he would get furious for the slightest insult towards him.

"I hope Ozpin kicks you out," Linen spoke. As he started to walk away, Gaspar growled as he stomped over to him and, to Robin and Jaune's shock, hit him in the back of the head. Before they realized, Gaspar began punching him again and again.

"Hey!" the Arc shouted as he rushed over to them, followed by Robin. "Leave him alone!" Gaspar looked over to them and was tackled to the wall before he could say anything.

"Let me go!" he demanded like the extremely arrogant brat he was. "This has nothing to do with you!"

"What is going on here?" Professor Port questioned, having heard the ruckus when it became loud enough.

"Gaspar attacked Linen!" Jaune answered as he let go of the leader of Team GOLD. "We stopped him!"

"That's a lie!" the Dorado claimed angrily. "These two attacked me for no reason!" The look on Port's face said enough; there was no way he would believe Gaspar after all the trouble he had been causing. That, along with Linen on the ground holding his face, spelled trouble for Gaspar.

"In my classroom," Port demanded of Gaspar.

"But I didn't do anything!" he lied.

"That's enough!" he shouted, taking everyone present by surprise. Port had never been one to raise his voice in anger. Usually when he was, he would still maintain a professional demeanor, but Gaspar had pushed him to his limits.

"Get in there now or you'll be in worse trouble than you are right now!" Port harshly demanded. The Dorado looked over at his teammate with an angry scowl.

"This is all your fault!" he blamed. "When I get out of here, I'll-"

"If you do anything hurt him, then you will be expelled from Beacon," Port informed. "Now move!" Gaspar growled angrily before going to Port's room.

"You okay, man?" Robin asked Linen as he helped him up.

"I'm fine," he answered. "I honestly hope he gets expelled."

"So do we," Jaune agreed.

-0-

"What!?" Gaspar shouted in anger at Ozpin's decision. "You cannot seriously remove me from team leader!"

"I can and I will," Ozpin replied. "You assaulted a member of your own team just because he wouldn't be your lapdog. You have proven yourself to be unfit for leadership."

"You can't do this!" the Dorado snarled. "How do you think my father-?"

"You put too much stock in your father's influence," Ozpin interrupted. "He is supporting me fully on your punishment."

"To remove me as team leader?" Gaspar asked. "I doubt it." He chuckled arrogantly, completely dismissing the Headmaster's words.

"You're suspended."

Gaspar's laughing was silenced after hearing those words. He had been removed from his position of team leader, a position he believed he deserved, but didn't in the slightest. Now he was being informed that his father was supporting Ozpin's decision to suspend him for his actions.

"No." Gaspar was in denial. "You're a liar, Ozpin." The Headmaster took out his scroll and pressed a button, allowing a voicemail to play.

" _I'm sorry for my son's behavior."_ The voice belonged to none other than Richard Dorado.

" _I thought given time, he would shape up, but obviously he hasn't. I don't know what's going through his head that makes him think he can do whatever he wants. I raised him better than this and it's obvious now that he needs to strictly disciplined. If he needs to be suspended, then I'll support it and I promise that when he comes back, he will come back a better student."_

"You can't be serious!" Gaspar barked. "Why would my father go against me?"

"Because you made him," Ozpin answered. "Ever since you arrived at my school, you have refused to heed any warning given to you. You have constantly posed a hazard to the welfare of almost every student here, even your own teammates. This behavior is unacceptable."

"You're making a big mistake, Ozpin," Gaspar warned.

"I've made two mistakes already," the Headmaster replied. "The first was letting you become a team leader. The second was believing you would change for the better, but you haven't. You're still the same selfish egotist that I'm more than happy to get rid of. Now go to your dorm, pack your belongings and leave Beacon. Your father will be here to pick you up soon."

Gaspar stared daggers at the Headmaster. In his mind, Ozpin had no right do this. He was the son of one of the most influential people in Vale, but he was being suspended anyway. He hated this. He hated that Ozpin had the gall to stand up to him and call him out on his behavior.

"You'll regret this, Ozpin," the Dorado warned as he got up from his seat.

"The only regret I have is not making you leave sooner," the Headmaster callously responded. "Now get out of my school."

Left with no choice, Gaspar growled loudly as he slammed the door open and walked to his dorm. He didn't bother talking to anyone as he stomped to his dorm, where his teammates were.

"You don't look happy," Orchid pointed out.

"You got me suspended, Linen!" Gaspar shouted. "This is all your fault!"

"How is it my fault?" Linen demanded to know. "You attacked ME!"

"Because you disrespected me!" the Dorado shot back. "I will not be disrespected!"

"But you get to disrespect us?" Luke questioned.

"You are all dirt beneath my boot!" he condescended. "This team will be worthless without me!" The three teammates didn't hesitate; they started grabbing Gaspar's belongings and throwing them out the door. They felt unrivaled happiness and joy as they got rid of everything that would remind them of their horrible excuse for a leader.

"Get out!" they all shouted as they slammed the door on him. He was left in the hallway, his belongings all over the floor.

His blood boiled; he would not tolerate this disrespect from his teammates. He didn't believe he deserved it, regardless of how selfish and hypocritical he had acted. He was a Dorado and anyone who disrespected him would be punished one way or another.

He grabbed his belongings, packing them in the bags he had and went onto the transports. As he did, he bumped into someone.

"Watch it!" he growled. To his surprise, it was none other than Mathdon Kendrick, one of his first victims.

"I heard Ozpin finally got rid of you," he smirked. "About damn time."

"Just like Pyrrha should get rid of you and come with me," Gaspar replied arrogantly. Math's smirk turned into a scowl of disgust and contempt.

"When are you going to understand!?" he almost roared. "She doesn't want to be with you."

"Of course she would want to be with me," Gaspar ignored. "When I come back, every beautiful girl here will be mine. You don't deserve her." He felt something wet on his face in a second. He wiped his face off and saw spit.

Math had spit on him.

"Get the hell out," the swordsman growled. "If you do anything to hurt Pyrrha, I'll make you hurt." He didn't wait for a response before walking off.

This was only a suspension, meaning Gaspar would come back after Ozpin would allow him to. Mathdon, Pyrrha, Linen, Robin, Jaune, Ozpin…he blamed everyone but himself for this. He refused to accept any responsibility for his terrible actions, regardless of how much trouble they had landed him in.

"When I come back, all of you will pay for this," the Dorado threatened as he walked on to meet up with his father.

In his mind, no one had the right to disrespect him. No one. When he came back, he'd make sure to make them pay.


	14. Eagle

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 14: Eagle**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Math and Pyrrha had just boarded the transport that would take them to Vale. Even though there were very few people on board, the trip wasn't quiet for them as they were keeping a good conversation.

"So Forest was more of a father than a mentor to you?" Pyrrha asked, curious about his two mentors.

"He was," Math answered. "He taught me a lot when Glaucus was busy. In fact, it was he who helped me make my weapons, which I based off his own with some differences."

"Such as?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"My firearm's a semi-automatic, his is an automatic," Math informed. "The transformations are different too; my sword simply retracts, his blade folds over and contains a second handle with a trigger."

"Is your fighting style also similar to his?" the Amazon asked.

"For the most part, but mine is more based on strength since I'm not very agile like you, Robin or Ruby," the swordsman informed again. "His is more over of a balance between strength and speed. He can hit hard and fast."

"He must've been a good teacher," Pyrrha suggested.

"They both were in their own ways," Math replied. "What about you? When did you start training?"

"I started when I was 11," Pyrrha started. "My mother was a Huntress before me and taught me the techniques she knew. She wielded a spear and hoplon shield like I do, but hers didn't transform into a xiphos like mine."

"Was your mother your only teacher?" Math asked.

"No, I had other teachers, but I didn't take to most of them," Pyrrha answered. "Since my family was wealthy, we could afford all the tutors we wanted, but we eventually stopped when I insisted on training with my parents. By the time I had entered Sanctum Academy, I had already exceeded their expectations."

"Then you went on to win the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row," the swordsman brought up. "You must've had a lot of friends during those years." The redhead's smile faded and she turned her head, concerning Math that he may've said something wrong.

"Pyrrha?" he asked as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't," she answered. "I…I didn't have any friends."

"What?" Math gasped. "But… you're kind, you're beautiful, you're strong, you're smart, you're fun to be around at times… how could anyone not want to be your friend?" The compliments made Pyrrha blush again, which she realized that she often did around the autistic swordsman. However, she cleared her face and looked back at him.

"I'm grateful for my accomplishments," she started. "However, everyone always assumed that because of them, I was too good for anyone. Everyone in Mistral would look at me like a celebrity, but…never as a true friend."

Math felt his heart sink for the girl he had was falling for. All this time, he had thought she had many friends during her time at Sanctum Academy, at Mistral. Up until now, he had no idea that, in reality, she didn't have any true friends, excluding her adoring fans. She had been alone like he had, but for different reasons; he felt like an idiot for not realizing.

"I… I'm so sorry, Pyrrha," Math spoke in hopes of comforting her. "I had no idea how lonely you felt."

"I used to…" She smiled at the leader of Team MRRN. "But not anymore. You had no idea who I was when we first met and I felt happy seeing you speak to me as a person rather than a celebrity. But when you told me about your past, I believed that out of the many people here at Beacon, you…would probably be one of those who understood me."

"Well, for different reasons," the swordsman pointed, "You felt lonely because people thought you were too good for them. I felt lonely because… people thought I wasn't good enough." He stopped when he felt a light weight on his shoulder. He looked to see Pyrrha resting her head on it, her eyes closed with a smile on her lips. Math may not be the best with people, but he knew immediately to shut up and smile as well.

He looked at her lips. They were a beautiful color of pink, curled into a smile. They looked very soft, almost like they were begging to be kissed. Math slowly moved his own lips-

 _"No."_ He stopped himself before his lips were anywhere near hers. He couldn't make a move on her without the fear of damaging their friendship. So until they reached the docks, Math just stayed the way he was as Pyrrha rested on his shoulder.

Once they landed, Math gently woke Pyrrha up and they walked off the ship. From here, it wasn't too far to the coffee joint Math had spoken about.

"How've you been doing with the others?" he asked Pyrrha. "Yang? Nora? Ruby? Ren?"

"I'm still getting used to Nora to be honest," she answered. "Nora is a very kind and outgoing person, but she's very hyperactive...sometimes, she can be a little too much. I just wish she'd stop eating everything in sight. The last time we tried to have pancakes for breakfast, she ate them all." Math chuckled.

"Sounds like Ruo," he brought up. "You'd be surprised by how much he eats. The last time pizza was served at lunch, he had six slices at one time. How do people like them manage to-?" He stopped, confusing Pyrrha. She followed his sight to see a rather large eagle perched on one of the lampposts, which she identified it as a Vacuo Golden Eagle.

"That eagle again?" the swordsman wondered, catching Pyrrha's attention.

"Have you seen that eagle before?" she asked the swordsman.

"Plenty of times," he answered. "It's very funny when you think about it because those types of eagles aren't native to Vale; they're only ever seen in Vacuo." He just looked at the bird and it looked back at him, only moving to adjust.

"Well, let's get moving," Math insisted. "It's just a little further down." The two kept walking down the sidewalk while Math kept looking at the bird. After exchanging a few more glances, it flew off the lamppost.

"Pyrrha Nikos?" a voice called, belonging to a young girl with her mother, probably no older than seven. She rushed over to the Amazon and handed her a piece of paper and pen.

"Can I have your autograph?" the girl asked. Pyrrha nodded her head and signed her name on the paper.

"Who's he?" the little girl asked, looking over at Mathdon. "Is he your boyfriend?" Both of their faces turned red.

"No, no, no, no!" the swordsman quickly denied. "We're just friends going to get coffee, that's all!"

"But if it's just the two of you, isn't that a date?" the little girl asked. Their faces got redder.

"Come on, sweetie," the mother said as she took the little girl's hand and led her down the direction that Math and Pyrrha had just come down.

"Bye, Pyrrha!" the girl shouted, waving her hand. The redhead smiled and returned the gesture. Math smiled, but didn't wave, knowing that the little girl was more interested in Pyrrha.

"Have fun with your boyfriend!" she spoke again. Both of them turned their heads away from each other to hide their blushes. In a few moments, they recollected themselves and continued onto the coffee joint. He held the door open for Pyrrha and let her enter first; he was a gentleman after all.

When they got there, Math was relieved to see that there was only one person in line so they wouldn't have to wait so long. He already knew what he wanted, but Pyrrha was examining the menu to see what she wanted.

"Do you mind if I get a breakfast sandwich?" she asked.

"Not at all," Math answered. "I've got it." He took out his wallet and then his Lien card. Once they got up to the register, they were greeted by a friendly looking lady who became excited at the sight of the Invincible Girl.

"Pyrrha Nikos!?" she gasped. She rushed to the back and came a few moments later with a coffee mug and a sharpie pen. The warrior took the mug, signed her name on it and returned it to her.

"How can I help you?" the barista asked, trying to contain her excitement for meeting Pyrrha Nikos.

"Do you know what you want?" Math asked Pyrrha.

"I do," she answered. The swordsman stood aside and gestured for Pyrrha to place her order.

"I'll have a Mistrali Strawberry tea with a spinach, feta and egg wrap, please," she ordered.

"I'll take a mocha Frappuccino, skim milk, and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich," Math ordered after her. "This'll be together."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked, not expecting Math to pay for her.

"I'm completely fine with it," the leader of Team MRRN replied.

"Your total is $18.58," the barista informed. Math presented his Lien card and gave it to the barista. After the payment was made, she gave the card back to him. The two students then walked over to a table and waited while their orders were being made.

"Math, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Pyrrha asked.

"What is it?" he replied. Pyrrha exhaled and looked solemnly at the young man she was slowly falling for.

"Have you told your teammates about your… condition?"

Math backed a little from her, turning his face away. To this day, he was still fearful of letting his teammates discovering the truth about his Asperger's, of how he really got into Beacon.

"I haven't," he reluctantly answered. Pyrrha slowly reached out her hand to him in any hopes of comforting him. She didn't just how truly hurt this warrior must be if he was still fearing others finding out.

"Math, it may help if you tell them," she insisted. "You told me and we're still friends."

"Because you're accepting," Math replied. "Not everyone at Beacon is. I know that there are people at Beacon who would accept me, but those who aren't…" He stopped.

"Are you afraid that… if you let more people know, you'll relive what happened at Aurum?" she asked. Math shook his head.

"Ozpin told me the day he gave me my application that people at Beacon wouldn't judge me the way Aurum did," he said. "Yet…How could he let people like Cardin and Gaspar into Beacon? In other words, people who would judge me."

Pyrrha wish she could give reassuring words to Math, but unfortunately, she couldn't find them. What he said was true; despite Ozpin's words, Beacon has plenty of people who would judge him the same way the ones at Aurum did. It was disheartening for Pyrrha to see Math, who was usual friendly and outgoing, so afraid of sharing one small secret.

"I don't know what it feels like to be judged for something beyond your control-"

"And I hope you never have to," Math interrupted. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Pyrrha, you don't know what it's like and I hope you never have to." The redhead opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off when the barista shouted "Order's ready!" The two of them got up and walked over to get their drinks and breakfast.

"Do you want to eat here or go back to the school?" Math asked. "I'm okay with either one."

"I'd honestly rather stay here," Pyrrha answered. They walked back over to where they had been previously sitting and sat down to enjoy their time together.

"Hey, Pyrrha," Math asked. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you come to Beacon rather than Haven?"

"I was hoping that less people would recognize me since I spent my training years in Mistral," the redhead answered. "That was naïve of me. The tournaments were broadcasted worldwide when I initially thought they were just done in Mistral."

"You came here because you thought you'd have a better chance of making friends here?" Math asked for clarification.

"Yes, and I did," Pyrrha smiled. "You, your teammates, my teammates, Team RWBY…I've made many good friends here. I'm very thankful for that."

"So am I," Math replied. He looked out the window and, to his surprise, saw the same golden eagle again. It was perched on a lamppost, but this time, it wasn't looking at the swordsman. Instead, it was looking off into the distance, towards… Beacon Academy. For the time being, Math decided to ignore it and get back to his time with Pyrrha.

"Did you hear Gaspar was suspended?" Math brought up, having relished in the news.

"Good riddance," Pyrrha replied. "Do you know what he was suspended for?"

"Attacking a member of his own team," Math informed. Pyrrha covered her mouth in shock and disgust.

"Robin and Jaune saw it happen," Math brought up. "Apparently, Gaspar blamed his teammate for him failing a test and attacked him when he was going to request a team transfer. I just don't understand why Ozpin doesn't just expel him; it's obvious by now he's not going to change."

"Well, maybe he will after he's been disciplined by his father," Pyrrha hoped. "I can't stand people like him."

"Then let's just enjoy this time without him," Math suggested. The redhead nodded her head in agreement.

They went on to discuss other things, including their studies at Beacon, their teammates and other things that had happened. All in all, their 'date' went rather smoothly. It was moments like this that reminded him why he fell in love with Pyrrha in the first place.

After eating, the two exited the coffee joint and went on their way back to the airship docks. Math looked up at one of the lampposts and, again, saw the same Vacuo Golden Eagle from before. It looked at him with its green eyes before flying off into the distance.

-0-

"That concludes our lecture for today," Professor Kura spoke as the clock hit 12:00 P.M. "Remember, we have a test coming up. I expect you to study everything you can. That'll be all for today." The students gathered their belongings and walked out the doors.

Alan decided to leave the classroom for now and go outside to enjoy the fresh air. His next class didn't start for two hours, so he was going to take the time to relieve himself of the confinement of the classroom.

"Professor Kura," Ozpin called as the professor walked out of the classroom building, accompanied by Goodwitch. "May we have a word with you?" Kura nodded his head and walked over to them, following them to the elevator to Ozpin's office.

"How've you been?" Kura asked the Headmaster and combat teacher.

"Doing well," Ozpin replied. "You?"

"Good," he answered. "I'm honestly very relieved to see Gaspar gone… even if it is temporary. What will be done if he comes back and he continues his behavior?"

"Then I'll do with him what I did with Team CRDL," Ozpin answered as they stepped into the office. "I'll expel him if I need to."

"Luckily, the investigation on the Dorado Mining Company is over," Goodwitch brought up. "Richard won't be opposed to us punishing him again should the need arise."

"So…I didn't catch on," Kura said. "Why was Team CRDL suspended?"

"On the Forever Fall trip over a month ago, Team CRDL had brought Rapier Wasps with them," Glynda started. "They were going to set Ms. Nikos up to be ambushed by them in retaliation for humiliating Cardin in Professor Oobleck's class." She heard her scroll go off and she opened it to see a text she had received from Oobleck.

"Doctor," she read. Glynda and Alan sighed in annoyance.

"So any other students that need shaping up?" Professor Kura asked.

"All of these students need shaping up," Ozpin bluntly responded. "However, one who's really caught my eye is Nasser Achdarr. Are you familiar with him?"

"Member of Team MRRN, knife user, foul mouth?" Kura asked. "I remember. He's barely passing my class and ignores whatever criticism I have for him."

"I spoke to him before," Ozpin brought up. "He knows what will happen if he doesn't change his ethics."

"I hope he does," Kura spoke. "So, what's going on? Has there been word from Qrow or Glaucus?"

"From Qrow, no," Ozpin replied. "However, Glaucus has recently informed us that the woman Goodwitch fought the night she met Ruby may be a pawn for Salem."

"The woman who was with Roman Torchwick?" Kura asked. "Why would Salem recruit someone like him?"

"Salem is a skilled manipulator," Ozpin informed. "She has always been one to use people as she sees fit. If Torchwick is working with this woman and she is associated to Salem, then she obviously has use for him."

"That doesn't explain the recent Dust robberies that Torchwick has committed," Kura brought up. "He's going around, stealing every bit of Dust he can get his hands on. What could he be using it for?"

"We can't rule anything out," Ozpin answered. "She has always been one to think, then strike."

"What about the assailants on the Fall Maiden?" Alan asked once more. "Does Qrow know anything about them that could help us identify them?"

"Qrow wasn't able to catch their faces, but he did say they were probably young adults," Goodwitch informed. "Possibly around fourth-year age."

"Then they could easily blend in as students, right?" Kura suggested. "All they'd need to do is forge transcripts and they'd be bona fide students at any of the Academies."

"Then we'll need to keep a close eye on our students, but we must do so subtlety," Ozpin replied. "We must remain careful. The assailant has half of Amber's power; if they do pose as students and they figure we're onto them, there's no telling what could happen."

"So for now, we just do nothing?" Kura asked.

"No," Ozpin firmly answered. "We must keep an eye out. There's no telling what Salem could be planning and until we have more information, we mustn't be so bold. For now, we must be patient."

Professor Kura nodded his head in acknowledgement. Without knowing the faces or names of the assailants, there was no telling where they could be. For all they know, they may be posing as students right now or had gone back to Salem. If they were outside of Beacon, it would have to be left to Qrow or Glaucus to track them.

"Does General Ironwood know yet?" Kura asked.

"He does," Glynda replied unenthusiastically. "He insisted on sending troops to locate them should they still be in Sanus."

"Luckily, I was able to talk him out of it," Ozpin brought up. "This type of situation requires patience, not military force."

"So, we're not anywhere close to discovering Salem's plans," Alan responded. "We're at a dead end."

"For now, the best course we can take right now is to gather more information before we make a move," Ozpin explained.

"Is that all?" Kura asked. "I need to have lunch before my next class starts."

"Of course," Ozpin answered. Kura walked over to the elevator, but before pushing the button, he turned back around.

"You should probably know," Alan spoke. "I spoke with Math earlier. When he was on a 'not-so-much-a-date' with Pyrrha Nikos, he told me that he saw a Vacuo Golden Eagle." He then pushed the button and entered the elevator, leaving the two other professors in silence.

"A Vacuo Golden Eagle…" Ozpin said to himself.

-0-

"So, that's how I was able to create this," Coco explained to Robin, showing him her briefcase that carried her gatling gun on her lap as they were sitting on a bench in the Beacon Courtyard. "It took a lot of work, but it came out very good in the end."

"Wow," Robin replied. "Beautiful, sassy, smart, intelligent… any guy would be lucky to date you." Normally, Coco would've brought up a comment relating to his flirting, but ever since the date at Monty's, they had become an unofficial couple, but she was wanting to go further with him.

"What about Velvet's weapon?" Robin asked. "Is there any way I can sneak a peek?"

"Not until she's finished it," Coco replied. "She's been working all semester on it. We don't want to show it before it's ready."

"In other words, she wants to give it a 'grand opening' of sorts," a voice spoke out from behind Coco. It was none other than Velvet, drinking bottled water.

"Hey, Velvet," Robin greeted. "How've you been?"

"I've been doing better," the bunny Faunus answered. "Ever since Cardin came back from his suspension, he's left me alone. I guess Professor Ozpin finally got through to him about his actions."

"That's great to hear," the archer responded.

"So, what are you two up to later today?" the Faunus member of Team CFVY asked.

"We're going into town to pick something up I ordered from Atlas," Coco answered. "It should be here by this evening. After that, we're going to get dinner at a Mistrali cuisine restaurant. The owner there is a friend of Robin's dad." Before the conversation could continue, Robin's scroll vibrated. He pulled it out and it read the name "Gwyn Kendrick."

"Oh, dang it," the archer sighed. "I forgot my mom needed to call me about something today."

"Go ahead," Coco replied. "I'll be right here waiting." Robin pecked Coco's cheek and walked off a little to speak with his mom.

"Are you sure about being with him?" Velvet asked. "You remember the night at Monty's?" Velvet was concerned about Coco ever since she heard about how their first date went horribly due to Dearg's actions.

"It hasn't happened since," Coco assured. "If I thought being with Robin was not a good idea, I wouldn't be with him."

"I know," Velvet replied. "You're my friend and I don't want to see you hurt because of something like that."

"I'll be fine," Coco assured again. "I appreciate you worrying about me, but I can take care of myself." Just then, Robin hung up his scroll and walked back over to the female members of Team CFVY.

"Did I interrupt anything?" Robin asked.

"No," Coco replied. "Velvet and I were just talking."

"I hope you two enjoy the rest of your day," Velvet departed. "I'll be in the library studying if you need me." She then walked away from them.

"Is everything all right with her?" Robin asked.

"She's still worried about what happened at Monty's," Coco answered.

"But it hasn't happened since," Robin brought up. "Ever since I pressed charges against him for that night, he's left me alone."

"Well, Velvet's always been a bit of a worrywart when it comes to me dating," Coco explained. "Several guys I've met in the past were… less than reputable."

"Is that she feels about me?" the archer asked.

"No, not like that," Coco replied. "She heard about what happened and worries that it may happen again. You should've seen Fox's reaction when he found out; he nearly went to get his tonfas."

"How did they fine out?" Robin asked. "Did you tell them?"

"Of course I did," Coco answered. "Your brother ruined my dress and the minute they saw it, they were all over me about what happened. I tried to tell them it was nothing to worry about, but they wouldn't buy it, so I told them."

"I know that feeling," Robin replied. "When I got back to the dorm that night, they saw my ruined shirt and I had to tell them."

"Well, that just shows how much they care about us," Coco pointed out.

"So, I'm curious; what did you order from Atlas?" Robin asked as the leader of Team CFVY got up from the bench and started walking with him.

"I ordered a new dress from the new Atlesian brand, Ange Bleu," Coco answered. "I've been keeping track of her trends for months. She recently released a new dress to the public, but the first 100 orders could get it for off. As a fellow lover of fashion trends, I managed to beat most of them to the punch."

"What does it look like?" Robin asked.

"Wait and I'll show you," Coco answered teasingly.


	15. Black Cat Gone Missing

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 1, Chapter 15: Black Cat Gone Missing**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Ruo-Jian had just gotten out of the showers, looking at himself in the mirror as he dried his hair and ears off. When he was done, he stopped to look at his scarred and mutilated torso. He couldn't help but stare as if he was in a hypnotic trance; he should've been used to the facts surrounding these wounds by now, but it was still very hard for him to process it all.

He remembered the day he and Yang went to the bar, a decision he only regretted because he got drunk very quickly; before that, he had enjoyed his time with Yang. It was fun to spend time with the blonde fist fighter of Team RWBY, though he thought she'd never want to spend time with him. It was honestly relieving for him to know she had fun as well. The only thing he hoped was that he didn't tell her about his mother, not wanting anyone to know how he got these scars.

He decided not to waste his time on these thoughts and put his robe back on, along with his pauldron with his symbol. After getting dressed, he went on his way to check the news on the TV in the lounging area. When he got there, Math and the rest of his team were sitting in front of the TV.

"The news is on?" Ruo asked.

"It's on a commercial, but it should be back on shortly," Math replied right when the logo VNN appeared on the screen.

" _Hello, this is Lisa Lavender reporting for Vale News Network. As of right now, the investigation on the DMC has come to a halt. Luca Apricot, former chairman for the Company, was arrested earlier for trespassing, aiding in the recent Dust robberies, and forgery. He confessed that he was aiding the criminal, Roman Torchwick, and attempting to frame Richard Dorado in retaliation for being fired from his job after receiving complaints of stealing money from the company."_

"Isn't Torchwick the same guy Ruby talked about?" Ruo asked.

"I think so," Math replied.

" _On other news, a fire broke out in the Ginger Tomato Fields in the Agricultural District today. Evidence and witnesses point towards this being committed by the White Fang. It's probable considering the owner of these fields was accused of treating his Faunus workers terribly. The accusations include making them work beyond their shift hours, constantly cutting their wages, often bordering on illegal, harassment and blackmailing the Faunus workers into staying. The owner, along with several of his leading staff, were killed in the fire. It continues to grow in size, though the Vale Fire Department are doing their best to combat the flames while local Huntsmen guard them in case the negativity attracts Grimm."_

"Wouldn't surprise me if the White Fang did do this," Ruo replied as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a water bottle.

"Man," Math spoke, thinking about the fire. "Why would they do this? I know things haven't been good between the humans and Faunus-"

"And the White Fang's trying to make things better…feh," Ruo interrupted somewhat sarcastically. Math, Robin and Nasser looked over to him, wondering what was wrong.

"Ruo, what's wrong with you?" Nasser asked. "Usually, I'm the one who makes sarcastic comments."

"What's wrong?" he asked with anger in his voice. "I hate the White Fang. They've become the very things they hate humanity for being: racists, hypocrites, murderers. Nothing justifies this."

"No, it doesn't," Math agreed. "But remember, we humans didn't always treat the Faunus well, so it was only a matter of time-"

"Who are you to defend them?" the Faunus growled. "You don't understand anything about this."

"Calm down, Ruo," Math replied.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" the Tiger demanded. "You are wrong to defend them!"

"I'm not justifying what they're doing, but I understand what led up to this," Math responded in a firmer tone as he walked over to Ruo. "And you need to calm down…now."

"You don't know anything," the White Tiger growled as he walked out of the room, leaving his teammates baffled.

"Am I the only one REALLY confused by what just happened?" Math asked. Normally, Ruo was the most calm and stoic member of the group, someone who almost never let his emotions get the better of him. To see him act out of anger so suddenly…they had never seen this before.

"No, you're not," Nasser spoke. "I wouldn't be surprised if I lashed out like that, but him…"

Ruo-Jian went on back to his dorm room, angry at his team leader for even thinking of defending them. The White Fang was evil, plain and simple. As he said, they had become the very things they hated humanity for being. On top of that, they were willing to murder their own kind just because they were an inconvenience, didn't support their terrorism, or spoke out against them. One insult against them and they would end the person who delivered it.

"How dare he defend them," he growled to himself. "He has no idea what the White Fang has done. They have barrels of blood on their hands now as well and use the prejudice against them to wipe their hands clean. I don't care how much prejudice they've endured; nothing will ever excuse the atrocities they've committed."

"Is everything all right?" Yang asked, standing outside her dorm. Ruo looked up at her and sighed.

"I…saw something on TV that made me angry," the Faunus replied.

"You, angry?" Ruby asked, standing beside Yang. "But you're never get angry."

"Not until now," he replied, making a conscious effort to suppress the hatred he felt. "What are you two doing here outside of your dorm?" He pricked one of his ears up and listened through the slightly opened door.

"Why are you willing to defend them?" Weiss asked. "They want to kill humanity. They want to kill US, every one of us. How can you be blind to that?"

"I'm not blind to what they've become," Blake angrily responded. "They wouldn't have become this if humanity had treated them fairly in the first place."

"What's going on in there?" Ruo asked.

"Weiss and Blake have been fighting nearly all day," Ruby answered. "A Faunus ran away from cops earlier and Weiss tried to track him down. She constantly called him names and believed he would eventually join the White Fang. Blake got mad at her and they've been in an argument about the White Fang since."

Ruo did his best not to let his anger show, turning his face away. Weiss was shown to be judgmental towards the Faunus, but he had no problem with her bashing the White Fang.

"So Blake is defending the White Fang?" he asked, managing to hide the anger in his voice from Ruby. However, Yang could tell that the White Tiger Faunus was not happy to hear about the White Fang, especially after what he had said when he was drunk.

"Are you all right?" Yang asked, showing concern for the martial artist.

"I hope that Faunus you met doesn't join the White Fang," he responded as he turned around to walk away.

"Do you hate the White Fang?" Ruby asked, curious. Ruo stopped in his tracks.

"Yes, I do," he answered before walking over to his dorm and entering. He walked over to his bed and laid down.

"Why does Blake defend the White Fang?" he wondered to himself. "How can anyone possibly justify the things they've done?"

Maybe anger was clouding his judgment concerning the White Fang, but he didn't care. He had witnessed the atrocities committed by the terrorist group firsthand; slaughtering innocent people, burning down homes and businesses…it was one thing to defend themselves, but what they were doing now was pure hypocrisy.

They wanted to fight for a future where they would get equality and respect. To Ruo, that future couldn't be any further away; he was wrong. The terrorism of the White Fang had made it seem that the future they wanted was now out of reach. Thanks to them, Ruo believed that the future they wanted no longer existed.

-0-

The weekend passed and Team MRRN was out in Vale, driving around in Robin's car.

"See anything you guys like?" Robin asked as he drove at a modest speed.

"So far, nothing," Nasser replied. "Why are we doing this?"

"We haven't done anything as a team this semester," Math answered. "I thought it'd be just nice for us four to do something together."

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Ruo-Jian asked.

"Whatever crossed your minds," Math replied. "Besides fighting Grimm."

"Hey," Robin called to everyone. "Isn't that Ruby?" The remaining three looked up ahead to see Ruby, Weiss and Yang walking down the sidewalk. Robin drove up to them, parked the car and lowered his window.

"Hey," Robin greeted. "What are you three up to?"

"We're looking for Blake," Ruby replied solemnly. "She's been missing since Friday."

"Blake's missing?" Math asked as he leaned over to look out Robin's window. "What happened?"

"She's a member of the White Fang, that's what happened," Weiss insensitively replied.

"Will you knock it off already, Weiss?" Yang demanded. "We don't know the whole story. We should at least talk to her before we jump to conclusions."

"The White Fang?" Ruo asked.

"She said it herself," Weiss brought up. "All this time, a member of the White Fang was under our noses."

"Knock it off, Weiss!" Yang demanded once more, her voice raising in anger. "We need to find Blake first, then we'll figure things out."

"We'll help you look," Math suggested. "Do you have any idea where she could be?"

"No, we don't," Ruby answered. "We've already called the libraries since she's a real bookworm, but none of them have seen her."

"We'll look around and see if we can find her," Math responded. "We'll call you if we find anything."

"Thanks," Yang replied. Robin put the car in drive and drove down the streets of Vale, looking for the black themed member of Team RWBY.

"So, she was a Faunus," Ruo brought up.

"What?" Nasser asked.

"Am I the only one who noticed how her bow twitches sometimes?" the White Tiger Faunus asked.

"I thought I saw her bow twitching," Robin remembered.

"Do you really believe she's a member of the White Fang?" Math asked his teammates.

"How should I know?" Nasser responded. "I didn't really know her."

"If she is a member of the White Fang, we should turn her over to the police," Ruo insisted.

"We don't even know if she is," Math replied, somewhat irritated at his teammate. "Like Yang said, we need to find her before we jump to conclusions."

"Why else would she run away?" the Tiger responded. "I heard about her and Weiss arguing Friday night. She was defending them; why would she defend them?"

"We are not going to have another political fight, Ruo," Math sternly replied. "I don't know why you hate the White Fang so much that you're immediately willing to condemn a friend, but it needs to stop for now."

"Yes, because we need another argument," Nasser stated sarcastically. Math shot a glare over at his rebellious teammate, prompting to shut up.

Robin drove in and out of places while Math and Nasser went inside to ask them about the missing member of Team RWBY. However, Blake seemed to be doing a good job staying elusive; even though some admitted to have seen her, they didn't see where she had gone next. She just came and went. Luckily, they picked a good piece of information that she was seen with a monkey Faunus that had a tendency to steal items.

" _That sounds like the guy we saw at the Docks!"_ Yang spoke over her scroll to Mathdon. _"You're sure that she was seen with him?"_

"Yeah," Math answered. "The last time anyone saw them together was at a café near a couple of blocks from Vale Plaza. Are Ruby and Weiss doing okay?"

" _Weiss is doing fine,"_ Yang answered. _"Ruby's…searching with someone else. A friend we met."_

"Well, make sure to let her know," Math said. "My team and I will head over to the café and ask the owner about her."

" _Alright,"_ Yang responded. _"Call us if anything else pops up. Keep in touch."_

"Will do," Math responded before hanging up. As Robin drove to the café, Math noticed the look of disapproval on the face of his Faunus teammate.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked directly.

"Doesn't it cross your mind that maybe Blake is betraying us to the White Fang?" Ruo asked.

"Doesn't it cross your mind that you're being very harsh towards her?" Math shot back. "Why are you so insistent that Blake is a member of the White Fang?"

"She ran away after her argument with Weiss about those monsters," Ruo pointed out. "She's been missing all weekend and has rejected any attempt to be contacted. If she's trying to convince me she's not with them, then she's doing a poor job."

"What if she's just scared?" Robin suggested. "Sometimes people run away not because they're evil, but because they're scared. What if Blake's scared that her teammates are thinking what you're thinking?"

"Then that's on her," Ruo responded.

"You know what?" Math nearly shouted. "If all you're going to do is paint Blake as a traitor when we haven't even found her, then maybe you should go back to Beacon."

Ruo didn't respond.

"Then stop it," Math demanded. "Let's get to the café."  
In about twenty minutes, Team MRRN arrived. While Robin and Ruo stayed in the car, Math and Nasser walked in.

"Why do I have to come?" Nasser asked.

"Because I don't trust Ruo to keep his anger intact right now," Math answered. "You've seen the way he's been acting."

"Yeah," the knife user agreed. "I don't get why he's acting like this."

"Hopefully, we'll find out," the swordsman replied. They approached the front desk where a young waitress was checking for customers.

"Afternoon," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Hello," Math replied. "We're looking for someone who was here. A girl about my age with black hair, bow in her hair, probably not very talkative. She was seen with a monkey Faunus. Have you seen her?"

"I wasn't here when they came," she answered. "Let me check with my coworker." She picked up her scroll, dialed a number and called.

"Hi," she said. "I have two young men here. They're looking for a girl with black hair and a bow in her hair along with a monkey Faunus. They said they were here earlier today. Did you see them?" She was quiet for a little bit; while waiting, Math grabbed two mints and handed one to Nasser, who ate it.

"Thank you," she concluded before hanging up and turning to face the two students. "She saw them earlier. They were here for a while, but they left around 1:00 P.M., about two hours before my shift started."

"Did she say anything else?" Math asked.

"They looked like they were trying to be discreet," she answered. "They didn't talk to anyone except to order tea and pay their bill. That monkey Faunus also stole several pieces of tuna. Other than that, there's nothing else we know."

"Thanks," Math responded as he and his partner left the café. He took out his scroll and dialed Yang's number. It rung for a few times before hearing _"Hey, Math. What's up?"_

"Blake was here at the café," the swordsman started. "She was here with that Faunus. They left around 1:00 P.M."

" _That was nearly two hours ago,"_ Weiss was heard on the other end of the scroll. _"Did you find out where she could be headed next?"_

"No, but we were told that it looked like Blake was trying to be discreet," Nasser answered. "She didn't talk to anyone except that monkey guy."

" _She could be anywhere,"_ Yang responded. _"We're not having any luck either and neither is Ruby. I just hope Blake's okay."_

"Blake's a trained fighter, she'll be okay," Math assured. "If we find out anything else about her, we'll call you. Take care." He hung up his scroll and the two of them got back in the car.

"Well?" Ruo asked.

"Blake was here with that monkey Faunus Team RWBY saw on Friday," the swordsman answered. "They were about two hours ago, meaning they could be anywhere now."

"Guess we better start looking," Robin suggested as she started up the car.

Their search continued onto around 7:00 P.M. Still, they had no luck finding the missing member of Team RWBY. While he wasn't showing it, Ruo was still convinced that Blake had betrayed them to the White Fang. He didn't care what anyone said; everything Blake was doing was casting her in a very negative light. Perhaps his willingness to condemn Blake as a traitor was blinded by anger, but why should he care?

The group stopped at a restaurant where they got hot dogs, curly fries and drinks.

"Still nowhere to be seen," Math wondered as he took a bite out of his chili cheese dog. "Where did she go?"

Just as they finished with their meals, a loud explosion was heard in the distance, immediately catching their attention.

"That came from the Docks!" Ruo pointed out.

"Everyone, back in the car!" Math commanded as he quickly got into the passenger's seat. Robin started up the car and drove in the direction of the explosion.

Upon arriving, the four of them got out of Robin's car and rushed to find the source of the explosion. After navigating their way to where a crane was in an empty area, they saw Blake and the monkey Faunus fighting Roman Torchwick.

"Blake?" Math whispered as he took in the fight happening.

"Look!" The voice came from a masked member of the White Fang. "There's the traitor!" He pointed a finger at Team MRRN…specifically, at Ruo-Jian.

"What?" Robin gasped as he looked over at his Faunus teammate.

"Don't just stand there!" Roman commanded as he fended off an attack from Blake. "Kill them!" The remaining White Fang charged at Team MRRN.

"Take them!" Math shouted as he and his teammates prepared their weapons.

Nasser was the first to fight. He leapt into the air and brought his chains onto two of the White Fang, smashing them into the ground with his Semblance. He used it again to charge into another White Fang, sending them crashing into the side of a shipping crate.

Math threw one White Fang over his shoulder with Dionach and knocked another's sword out of their hand with Claiomh Solais before knocking them unconscious with his shield. Two White Fang fired at him with their guns, but the warrior caught on in time to raise his shield to block the bullets. He then charged at them and took both of them out with a swipe of Dionach.

Robin changed Sharp Shot into its sword form and flipped over a White Fang, dealing a strike to their back. He parried the blades of two incoming White Fang, finishing them with an acrobatic backflip, kicking them both in the chins.

"Traitor!" one of the bigger White Fang growled towards Ruo-Jian as he brandished a pair of battle gloves, designed to hit like a ton of trucks.

"I never supported you!" Ruo shouted. "I'm not the one willing to murder his own people just because they don't support my beliefs!"

"The humans pushed us to this!" the White Fang Tank growled as he activated the Fire Dust in his gauntlets.

"That doesn't justify what you've done!" Ruo roared.

"Are you mad at us for what we've done to them…or are you mad for what your mother did to you?"

That made Ruo snap as he let out a roar and pounced onto the White Fang Tank. He delivered precise and deadly, yet rage-filled claw strikes at the giant, who managed to block most of them as he turned his gauntlets into shields. Despite not getting through them, Ruo still delivered enough force to knock him off guard.

The Tank continued to endure the blows until they stopped. He retracted his shields and looked around in the close proximity of the area; Ruo-Jian was nowhere to be found.

"Come on out!" he shouted as he pounded his fist into the concrete ground, using his Fire Dust to send out a heat wave that was able to hit Ruo and knock him out of his invisibile form.

"Ruo!" Robin shouted as he knocked a White Fang grunt aside and transformed Sharp Shot into a bow, nocking two arrows onto the bowstring. Before he fired, he used his Semblance to find a weak spot in the Tank's armor, managing to find one in the knee, the other under the arm.

Just as he was about to let loose the arrows, a flare was fired at him and he was forced to evade. He looked over to see that the flare had come from Roman Torchwick.

"Geez, wasn't tonight supposed to be a simple 'take the Dust and get out' job?" the crime lord asked.

"No, tonight can be a 'beat the crap out of a crime lord' job," Nasser shot back as he launched himself using his Semblance at Torchwick. The criminal aimed his cane at him and fired another flare, landing a direct hit on the student. This caused him to tumble and crash into the side of a shipping crate. Nasser quickly managed to recover and fight Torchwick.

Ruo continued his fight with the White Fang Tank, managing to land several hits on him, but his armor prevented them from doing any serious damage. Ruo activated the Earth Dust in Huzhao, knowing it would add more force to his blows.

"We wanted to create a future where we get the respect we deserve!" the White Fang Tank shouted as he leapt into the air and tried to crush Ruo, but missed as the Tiger dodged. "You walked away from that just because of what your mother did!"

"The White Fang corrupted my mother!" Ruo growled as he unleashed a flurry of clawing strikes. "They turned her into something she wasn't!"

"She became that way because of the humans who killed your father!" the Tank pointed out. "You can't blame us for your mother wanting justice!"

"Go to hell!" the White Tiger roared as he pounced at him, but was struck by one of his gauntlets, pounding him into the ground and depleting his white Aura.

"It doesn't have to end like this," the Tank insisted.

"I will never go back to that life," Ruo responded. The Tank raised both of his hands.

"Then you leave me no choice." He brought his fists down, prepared to finish him. Ruo closed his eyes as he prepared to feel the heavy impact.

No impact.

He opened his eyes and saw Math blocking the gauntlets with Dionach, obviously using all of his strength to hold them back.

"This has nothing to do with you, human!" the Tank growled as he struck the shield once more.

"He's my teammate," Math replied. "There's no way I'll let you hurt him!" He gave out a shout as he knocked the Tank back.

"Robin!" Math called. The archer appeared from behind and shot two arrows into the weak spots in the gauntlets, disabling the Dust empowerment.

"Surrender," Math demanded as Robin aimed another arrow.

"I'd rather die," the Tank replied with a ferocious snarl. "I don't need Dust to end you."

"Ruo, can you still fight?" the swordsman asked the Faunus martial artist.

"His Aura's depleted," Robin responded as he checked his scroll. "One more hit from that guy and he's dead."

"Then you and him worry ahout the grunts," Math responded, pointing his sword at the Tank. "I'll take care of him."

Nasser fought Roman, along with Blake and Sun, the name he caught for the monkey Faunus. He attacked with his knives, though they were deflected by Roman's quick reflexes. The crime lord deflected one blow and, instead, knocked him off guard; Nasser had used his Semblance to charge one of his knives to knock Roman off balance.

The criminal aimed his cane at a hanging shipping crate and fired, making all three students jump to avoid being hit. Just as Sun was recovering from it, he was greeted by the sight of Roman Torchwick pointing his cane at him, preparing to finish him off at point-blank range.

"Hey!" a voice called out, one that Team MRRN was all too familiar with.

"Ruby?" Robin asked as he looked to find her on a building along with another girl.

"Oh, hey red," Roman greeted. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

The Tank threw another punch at Math, blocking it with Dionach. This White Fang had a lot of force in his fists, so much that nearly every time he struck Dionach, it made Math stumble.

The Tank attacked once more, but Math used Dionach to knock the gauntlet upward and then deal a powerful strike with his Aura imbued sword to the White Fang's torso. The attack made the Tank fly back onto the ground. Before he could get up, Ruo managed to get to him and knock him unconscious.

"Ruo, you were a member of the White Fang?" Math asked, remembering what one of the grunts had mentioned earlier.

"I'll explain later," the Faunus assured.

"You better, because from where I'm standing, this has made everything you said about Blake seem very hypocritical," the leader of Team MRRN pointed out. Just then, the numerous White Fang fighters were being wiped out by a flying razor of swords, nearly similar to Mathdon's Aura Swords.

"What?" the warrior wondered as he looked to the building where Ruby was. The source of the blades was a girl about Ruby's height with red hair and a pink bow; she was making quick work of the White Fang.

"Man, she's good," Nasser thought to himself.

"Bullheads!" Robin called out. "Take cover!" Team MRRN quickly took cover behind some of the shipping crates to avoid being in the Bullheads' line of fire. The girl that had come with Ruby, however, was effortlessly deflecting them with her spinning blades.

"Who is she?" Math wondered. In response to the Bullheads, the girl pulled herself back and had her swords point at the ships in a circle. In the middle, green energy charged up and the girl unleashed a powerful laser, destroying two of the Bullheads.

"Roman's getting away!" Ruo shouted as he saw the criminal board one of the Bullheads. Team MRRN attempted to apprehend him, but the aircraft took off before they could reach him.

-0-

After the fight, all of the White Fang had been arrested by the VPD, who had arrived in response to the explosion. All the while, Team MRRN, Sun, Blake, Ruby and the girl now called Penny sat together, talking about what had happened.

"So you were a member of the White Fang?" Ruby asked Blake.

"I was, but not anymore," Blake answered. "I left because I don't want to be part of their violence."

"Well, don't you feel like a real jackass?" Nasser whispered to the White Tiger Faunus. He glared over at his teammate.

"I already called Yang and Weiss," Ruby brought up. "They should be here soon."

"We'll head back to Beacon," Math suggested to his teammates, who were in agreement with him. The four of them walked in the direction where Robin had parked his car, walking by Weiss and Yang on their way. As Ruo walked by the blonde brawler, she managed to land a quick peck on his cheek, making the Faunus blush heavily.

"Oooh, someone's in love~" Robin, Math and Nasser teased. Ruo's blush went away, replaced by a glare.

"Other than that, I'd say you have a bit of explaining to do," Robin pointed out. "Especially why you were so willing to condemn Blake when you were a member of the White Fang as well."

"I'll tell you back at Beacon," Ruo answered. The four of them went over to Robin's car, buckled in and drove off to Beacon Academy. Math, Robin and Nasser would ask about the White Fang from time to time, but Ruo's response was always the same: he would tell them at Beacon.

After arriving back at the Beacon Parking Garage, they took the elevator up to the school grounds, which was almost completely quiet, save for a few students having fun.

A thought came across Math's mind. Ruo was going to tell his teammates about his past, something he had wanted to keep hidden from them. However, after tonight, they were puzzled about why Ruo being a member of the White Fang, despite his hatred for them.

If Ruo was going to tell them about his past, then this would be a opportunity for Math to confess his own.

They arrived at their dorm and quietly entered, trying not to wake everyone. As soon as all of them were in, Ruo had everyone sit down as he upheld his promise to explain everything.

"It started when I was 13…"

 **Author's Notes: I hope everyone is still enjoying this Fanfic. If anyone has constructive criticism on how to improve the story, then I'm open to it.**


	16. Secrets Now Known

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **Volume 1, Chapter 16: Secrets Now Known**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Team MRRN had just returned from the Docks after their battle with the White Fang. To their shock and surprise, one of them had pointed out Ruo-Jian as a former member of the White Fang, the same organization that Ruo had deemed evil and hypocritical. Now he needed to explain.

"I was 13 years old when I joined the White Fang," Ruo started. "Before then, I had lived in Mistral with my mother, Lihua, and my father, Guiren. My mother was a White Tiger Faunus like me, but my father was a human."

"You had a human father?" Math asked curiously.

"Yes," Ruo confirmed. "He was a physician, often helping out at the hospital. My mother trained me in martial arts, starting when I was nine. Things were good between them, despite the prejudice my father endured for marrying a Faunus and having a Faunus child."

"That's messed up," Math spoke.

"It's how things are," Ruo responded, his firm voice getting weaker. It was obvious that this was very hard for him to say. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was fear, maybe it was out of a desire to forget everything.

"One day, I heard my mother talk to my father about joining the White Fang. My father was against the idea as there had reports of violence caused by them. This led to a strain in their relationship, with my mother insisting that we join the White Fang and my father afraid of what the White Fang would become because of the violence reported. She would use any time I was bullied as proof that we needed to join the White Fang, but my father still wouldn't buy it."

"So no matter what your mother brought up, he wouldn't condone joining the White Fang," Robin pointed out.

"He was afraid of the White Fang becoming violent," Ruo replied. "He was right."

"So how did you join the White Fang?" Nasser asked.

"There was a break-in at our house after we had come home from a family dinner," Ruo continued. "A man had broken into our house and was trying to steal money. My father tried to stop him, but he was…" He stopped. His eyes looked as if he was reliving the whole memory all over again. He breathed again and again, trying to gather himself from the trauma of the memory.

"He shot and killed my father," Ruo finally got out. "We rushed over to him and tried to revive, but nothing. When the police arrived, my father's murderer pointed the blame on us…and you know what? They believed him, just because he was a human and we were Faunus. My mother tried to explain, but they wouldn't listen to her."

"What?" Math asked with a shocked tone. He knew Faunus prejudice was terrible, but not this bad. To blindly arrest a Faunus just because a human blamed them for a crime was truly horrible. It was disgusting.

"What about you?" Robin asked.

"I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't have it," Ruo explained more. "They weren't even going to send me to an orphanage; they just left me with no one, so I lived in the streets for several days."

The reactions from his teammates varied. Math's one was of pure disgust and contempt for the way he had been treated, angered at how bad Faunus prejudice truly was. Robin's was one of sympathy, feeling sorry for his teammate. Nasser's was one that seemed to be a mix of the two.

"My mother managed to escape and found me," Ruo went on. "However, instead of going home, we were going to join the White Fang after the new leader, Sienna Khan, had become taken charge. After that, my mother was never the same."

"What do you mean?" Math asked. Ruo sighed and stood still for a moment. He started to undo his robe and took it off, revealing his maimed torso to his teammates, leaving them in complete shock.

"Who did this to you?" Nasser asked, studying the various wounds on his torso.

"After joining the White Fang, my mother became violent, selfish, fanatical…and she expected the same from me," the Faunus continued. "Whenever I didn't support her violence, she would beat me, maim me, starve me…I couldn't even remember her as the loving and kind woman she once was before my father was killed."

Math wished he could find the right words to say to him, but sadly fell short. He though he had it bad; he was sorely mistaken. He had no idea of the trauma Ruo-Jian had been put through.

"Ruo, I…" Again, Math's words fell short.

"No matter what she did, even if it meant killing our own people, she was convinced we were doing the right thing. Finally, after a year of this, I couldn't take it anymore and I ran away."

"So that's why you hate the White Fang so much," Robin brought up. "You've witnessed firsthand their atrocities…and you hate what they turned your mother into."

"I ran for two days, until I needed to stop," Ruo continued. "I was about to eaten by Grimm until a lioness Faunus named Jinse Mu Shi killed them and nursed me back to health. When I awoke, she offered to make me her martial arts apprentice, but I initially turned her down. However, she told me that she knew my parents and had been looking for me ever since my father was killed. So I accepted her offer and trained under her for three years."

"Did she help you design Huzhao?" Math asked, remembering how his teacher helped design Claiomh Solais and Dionach.

"She did," Ruo answered. "After those years, I decided that I wanted to put my skills the way my father would want me to: to help people. I didn't want to be a physician, so I decided to become a Huntsman, but I didn't think I could go back to Mistral after what happened, so I came here to Vale, where I enrolled in Beacon."

That was it. Ruo had explained his past to his teammates; there was nothing for him to hide about his hatred for the White Fang.

"Now you know the truth," he concluded. "Well, what do you think?"

Math was the first to stand up and walk up to Ruo. They were still for a second before what the leader of Team MRRN did surprised him.

He hugged him.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he apologized. "I understand perfectly why you'd want to keep this a secret."

"Thanks, Math," Ruo-Jian responded, returning the hug. They stayed like this for a few moments before breaking off.

"Because I have my own that I should share too."

Everyone looked at their team leader. Math looked over to Robin, who knew what he was talking about, giving him a look asking if he was certain about this. Math nodded, knowing it would probably be the right thing to do.

"Well, what is it?" Nasser asked, leaning on his bed. Math sighed as he faced all his teammates.

"Do you two know what Asperger's is?" he asked them. Ruo and Nasser looked at each other, being unfamiliar with the word Math had just said.

"What the hell's that?" Nasser asked his leader.

"It's a condition that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate," the swordsman answered. "I…I have it." There was no response from anyone.

"Why is that so bad?" the knife wielder asked. This surprised Math; he expected a more cynical response from his rebellious teammate.

"Because…" Math started but stopped. He sighed, doing his best to overcome the mental struggle that Ruo most likely had to endure while talking about his own past.

"Do you want the whole version or short version?" the swordsman asked.

"Whole," Ruo requested, not bothering to ask Nasser's opinion.

"I was born with Asperger's," Math started. "Because of it, I had difficulty being around people. My father, Donovan, didn't understand it, so he tried to make me act more normal. When it wasn't working, he started becoming abusive."

"Did he hit you?" Nasser asked with an unusual tone of concern in his voice.

"No, he didn't hit me," Math denied. "He was verbally and emotionally abusive because of my lack of improvement around people. He would call me names, treat me like crap and even refused to listen to my mother about his behavior. Eventually, he filed for divorce and left."

"So your father's out of the picture," Ruo responded. Math nodded his head.

"I didn't know what to do, so I started eating emotionally and because of it, I became overweight. But that didn't stop me from wanting to become a Huntsman like many people in my family, so I enrolled at Aurum Academy."

"So that's where you trained," Ruo pointed out. "But…you said on the first night here that you didn't want to talk about it. Why?"

"Because of everything that happened," Math answered. "After the first day, when most people knew about my Asperger's and how overweight I was, they kept their distance from me. One student, Jason Currant, and his friends bullied me whenever they could. They made my life there a nightmare."

"Didn't the Headmaster do anything to stop it?" Nasser asked.

"Not a damn thing," the swordsman responded somewhat angrily. "He cared more about his PR than he did about the welfare of his students. Since Jason came from a wealthy family, he let him do whatever he wanted and turned a blind eye to it."

"So he knew about the bullying and he did nothing?" the knife wielder gasped.

"Yep," Math confirmed. "Plus, he didn't have faith in me because of my Asperger's, so whatever bad stuff happened to me, he turned a blind eye to it. He wanted a chance to get rid of me…and he got it."

"What did he do?" Nasser growled, hating how his team leader was treated.

"I discovered that Jason had cheated on a test that was a third of his grade, so I told the teacher and he was set up to fail," Math continued. "After he found out, he approached me and attacked me."

While he wasn't showing it to his teammates, Nasser's blood was boiling. He absolutely despised what had happened to his two teammates, going through being abused by a parent and being hated for something they couldn't control. He may be rebellious and a bit aloof towards them, but he knew that what they had gone through could only be described in one word: wrong.

"I fought back, but I alone was called to the Headmaster's office," Math continued further. "He twisted the scenario to make it look like I attacked him and…had me expelled."

"What!?" Nasser shouted, rising from his bed. "You're telling me that the Headmaster hated you so much that he expelled you for something he KNEW wasn't your fault?"

"Yes," Math answered. "I was a wreck for days until I received an offer from a Huntsman to be his apprentice, Glaucus Viisaus."

"Glaucus Viisaus?" Ruo gasped. "He's one the most well-known Huntsmen from Beacon."

"At first, we focused on getting me into better shape and then started officially training," Math explained more. "After a year of training with Glaucus, I met Forest Kotka, another veteran Huntsman. He helped me forge Claiomh Solais and Dionach and…he was more of a father to me than my own dad."

"How did you come to Beacon?" Ruo questioned.

"I never thought I'd come here," Math admitted. "During the summer, Glaucus and I went to Aurum, where I fought and beat four of Aurum's best students. Ozpin appeared afterwards and gave me an application." He sighed.

"I didn't tell you because…"

"You were afraid we'd judge you the same way Aurum did," Ruo finished Math's sentence. "That's how I felt; that if you knew I was once…"

"What happened to both of you was messed up!" Nasser proclaimed. This outburst made everyone look at Nasser, who, for possibly the first time during the semester, showed sympathy for his teammates. It had been very rare for him to express these particular emotions towards his teammates.

"I thought I was the only one," Nasser admitted. "Since you two were brave enough to share your past…"

" _Mr. Achdarr, I'm sorry for the pain you've been forced to endure, but you cannot let that hinder you. You cannot make it through Beacon alone."_

"I think…maybe I should do the same." Everyone focused on the rebellious knife wielder.

"I wasn't born here in Vale; my family and I lived in Vacuo for a time with my brother, Cassim, and my sister, Ezther. Obviously, back there, we didn't care for rules and authority; only if you could survive the harsh environment."

"Then it's no wonder you're such a rebel," Ruo pointed out.

"Will you let me finish?" the knife user demanded, silencing the Faunus.

"Things were going good until I turned eleven. From what I know, my father, who was a Huntsman, got on someone's bad side when he refused to take a contract to kill someone. They got the jump on him…and killed him."

"What?" Math gasped. "Didn't anyone try to find the murderers?"

"Vacuo isn't a land of rules, it's a land of survival," Nasser brought up. "The only thing that made anyone welcome was if they had the strength to survive."

"I know," Math replied. "Forest was from Vacuo. He told me what you said, but I just never imagined something like this happening. Shade Academy is the only source of law and order in Vacuo."

"Yep," Nasser confirmed. "After that, my mother became fearful of us staying in Vacuo and decided to move us here to Vale."

"You weren't on board with this, were you?" Math asked.

"Not in the slightest," Nasser answered. "I had a lot of friends back in Vacuo, not to mention a girl I was sweet on." He stopped, remembering the girl he was sweet on for a while. Odds are, she had probably enrolled in Shade Academy.

"Sorry to hear that," Robin apologized. "So you miss Vacuo?"

"That's not the only thing," Nasser continued. "My father had left a large inheritance for us in case anything ever happened to him. My brother, who was seveeal years older than me, volunteered to go get the money on the day we were to receive it. What he did next shocked all of us."

Nasser's scowl became one of a mix of anger and sadness. His three teammates leaned forward in anticipation. What could Cassim have done to hurt Nasser so badly?

"He stole the money for himself," Nasser admitted. "When we found out, I called him and told him to come back, but he said crap like 'the money is mine', 'don't be selfish', and all other crap. In other words, he was being selfish, greedy, and hypocritical. Because of him, my family and I lived in poverty with almost no money. We struggled every day while he lived such a wonderful life."

"Wow," Math spoke. "That is messed up in so many ways it's not even funny."

"This really hurt my family," the knife wielder continued. "My brother's betrayal just hurt everyone. Mom had to take on several jobs, was rarely home, and had little time for us. They relied on me to do a lot of things; getting groceries, cleaning…I had to depend on myself for years because Mom was always busy and Ezther was too young to take care of herself. When I became 13, I decided to enroll in Dawn Academy to sharpen my skills as a fighter. It's where I made my knives, Shafarnasr and discovered my Semblance to redirect and manipulate kinetic energy."

"What made you want to become a Huntsman?" Math asked.

"Huntsman get paid a lot of money," Nasser answered. "If I can do this, I can probably get my family out of poverty."

"Then why are you so aloof and prideful?" Ruo asked. "Are you afraid we'll betray you just like your brother did?"

"No, that's not it," the knife wielder denied. "I…I hate relying on others. I've relied on myself for so long because the two people who were supposed to take care of my family…one died and the other betrayed us."

"That doesn't mean you can't rely on us," Robin pointed out. "We're a team and teammates rely on each other for help when they need it."

"You don't understand!" Nasser shouted.

"I do!" Math shot back. "Remember when I told you my father left us? I had to take care of a lot of things too since I was the only man in the house and my mom was always busy with work. I know perfectly well what it feels like when you can't rely on others, because I once felt that way. If I continued too, then maybe I wouldn't be here."

Nasser was shocked silent by Math's outburst. The leader breathed heavily a few times before he sighed and calmed down.

"We've all been hurt in one way or another," Math spoke. "I learned that when you're hurting, it's too easy to forget that others are in pain, maybe even worse."

"You're right," Nasser admitted, contrasting his usual pride. "It's easy to focus on yourself when so much crap has happened in your life."

"All of us have," Robin spoke. The other three members of MRRN looked over to him, more so Ruo and Nasser since Math possibly suspected what was going on.

"Remember when I told you about Dearg, my brother?" Robin brought up. Nasser and Ruo looked at each other until a memory rang in their heads; it was the same name that belonged to the person who ruined his first date with Coco.

"I remember," Ruo responded. "Did he hurt you too?"

"Before the date, yes," Robin confirmed. "He was actually a student here at Beacon, a member of Team FDGU and he was doing very well. However, his life took a turn for the worse when he returned from a mission…alone. All of his teammates had been killed."

"Damn," Nasser replied.

"He dropped out of Beacon and returned home," the archer continued. "We tried helping him, but things only got worse, especially for me since I had left Aurum Academy to go to West Academy. He was jealous that I was continuing on with my Huntsman training, so he would bully me, belittle me…no matter what my parents did, he wouldn't stop doing what he was doing. It only got worse."

"How worse?" the Faunus asked his teammate.

"Worse to the point that he started spreading rumors about me blackmailing students into doing my work at West Academy," Robin answered, much to the shock of his teammates.

"Those rumors nearly got me kicked out until my parents discovered that Dearg was the one spreading the rumors. After clearing everything up with the Academy Headmaster, my dad scolded my brother for what he did. This led to a falling out with them and he stopped living at the house, though he returned twice for money. After that, he stopped giving him any because of his behavior."

"So your brother ruined your date with Coco that night just because he wants money?" Nasser asked in disbelief.

"That's not the only reason," the archer responded. "When I came home from West Academy one day, I saw him in our house, stealing some of Mom's jewelry. He ran off and I called the cops on him…even though I didn't want to. He was arrested and since then has blamed me for everything in his life."

The room was silent, accompanied only by the sounds of crickets and soft winds outside their window. All of them had spoken about their past, who had hurt them, how they were hurting, and why some of them kept their secrets from everyone. They had all put everything out there for all of them to know. Nasser was the first to break the silence.

"Well…I never knew how much you guys had…well…you know, how much crap you guys have gone through," he spoke.

"We've all definitely gone through crap," Math agreed. "So, now we know everything about each other, huh? I don't know about you, but it feels good knowing that despite everything you now know, you accept me."

"I feel the same," Ruo agreed. "So, what does this mean now?"

"I think it's safe to say that we trust each other," Robin suggested. "Before tonight, none of us were willing to tell each other about our pasts." He looked over to the White Tiger Faunus.

"You and Math kept these secrets because you were afraid of being judged and hated," the archer pointed out. "Nasser did because he didn't want to rely on others because of having to depend on himself for so long."

"He's right," Math agreed. "By trusting each other with things like this, we grow as a team. We still have a long ways to go, but I like to think we're well on our way there." He stood up and walked over to Nasser.

"We're a team, man," he said to his teammate. "We need to learn to rely on each other because no one can handle everything alone. Since you trusted us with this, are you willing to be more of a team player?"

Nasser was quiet. Him speaking about the past had shown a great level of trust and respect, but was he ready to put aside his pride and become a better team player? Was he ready to better himself for both his team and his family? He sighed.

"It won't happen overnight," he answered. "But what the hell? Sure." Math extended his hand to the knife wielder. He looked for a second, paused and then slowly but surely, extended his own hand to meet Math's.

"This stays between us, right?" Nasser asked for assurance.

"The only way anyone outside of this room is going to find out is if you tell them yourselves," Math responded, addressing all his teammates. Ruo yawned as he stretched his arms.

"Sounds good to me," he agreed. "I don't know about you guys, but I think we could probably talk about this more tomorrow if needed. It's getting late."

"I'm definitely tired after tonight at the docks," Robin spoke as he walked over to his bed. None of them bothered changing out of their clothes; they could shower, change clothes and do everything else in the morning. The only thing they felt as they fell asleep with immense relief and pride knowing that they were growing as a team.

-0-

Blake managed to patch things up with Weiss after the night on the docks, but Ruby's worry, Penny was nowhere to be found; she had simply disappeared after the police arrived.

As the days went on, Nasser made a conscious effort to be a better team player and take his studies more seriously. While they definitely needed to be better, he was still improving. This caught Ozpin's attention as he looked up the grades for the green-themed member of Team MRRN and smiled at the changes in his grades.

"Looks like Nasser finally listened," Professor Kura spoke as he and Goodwitch looked at the grades as well.

"I'm proud of him," Ozpin spoke as he shut off the computer projection. "He still needs improvement, but he's working on it."

"Well, hopefully Gaspar coming back won't muck things up," Kura brought up. This was the day they had dreaded; Gaspar's suspension was over and he was now allowed to return to Beacon. Despite the assurances from his father that he was now better behaved, they didn't feel easy about it.

"We all knew this would happen," Ozpin reminded. "If Gaspar makes a conscious effort to be a better student, then he'll stay. If not…"

-0-

"Why does no one have a red?" Math asked in frustration as he looked at his teammates during their game of Unus. "Seriously, no one has a red or a six?"

"Not until now!" Robin cockily proclaimed after drawing a card and placing it on the stack, showing a blue six.

"Finally!" Nasser cried out since his hand was overflowing with fifteen cards. He pulled out a blue reverse card, making it Robin's turn again.

"You suck!" the archer insulted as he had to draw four cards until he got a blue four and placed it on the stack. Math laughed at his cousin.

"Wow, you thought you were close to winning," he chuckled. "How about that?"

"I would've seven turns ago if someone hadn't put down a red six," the archer sneered, looking over at his Faunus teammate.

"Don't blame me," Ruo responded. Before their game could continue, they heard "There you are!" It was a voice that they recognized all too well, one that belonged to someone they hated with a burning passion. They turned from their game to look at Gaspar Dorado.

"What do you want?" Math asked with hostility in his tone.

"A chance to apologize," the Dorado heir spoke, confusing Team MRRN.

"I know my behavior before I was suspended was unacceptable, selfish and hypocritical. I've come back a new student, which I wanted to start by apologizing to you four."

"Apology not accepted," Ruo coldly responded. "We won't accept it until you've proven you've changed. For all we know, you could be lying."

"I assure you, I'm not," Gaspar responded. "I am not the person I was when I left. I'm a better person now and if I have to prove it for you to accept my apology, then I'll do it. Now, I must go see Professor Ozpin." The Dorado heir walked off in the direction of the Headmaster's office.

Team MRRN felt uneasy about this. If Gaspar was faking sincerity, then he was doing a very good job. They didn't trust his words after all he had done before his suspension; they believed he was simply far too arrogant and selfish to change.

"Do you guys believe him?" Math asked.

"Not in the slightest," Nasser spoke.

"He was gone for a while," Ruo brought up. "It is slightly possible, if you ask me, that he has learned his lesson."

"I don't think so," Math dismissed. "For now, don't let your guard down around him. For all we know, if he's lying, he may want to get back at those he blames for his suspension."

"Let's at least see how he does, then we can decide if we need to be careful around him," Ruo suggested. The four of them continued with their game of Unus, thinking time after time of Gaspar Dorado.

Had he really changed? Had he learned the error of his ways? Or was he simply lying, putting on a pleasant façade until he could harm those he blamed for his suspension? Regardless, Team MRRN had to keep their guard up around him…just in case.

 **Author's Notes: I hope you're still enjoying this Fanfic. If anyone has constructive criticism on how I can make the story better, then I'm open to it.**


	17. Asking the Question

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 17: Asking the Question**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **I want to give a special thank you for all of you reading my Fanfic. I've already gotten over 2,000 views, which I never thought I'd get. Enjoy!**

"I'm going to ask her," Math told himself in the mirror. He was going on a date with Pyrrha tonight. She didn't know where, but she had been told it's a more fancy restaurant than the ones they had gone to in the past. Ever since the coffee date, Math and Pyrrha would sometimes go out for coffee or lunch on days they didn't have classes.

It was undeniable to Math how much he had fallen in love with Pyrrha at this point. He could no longer find it in his heart to remain simply a close friend; he wanted her for himself.

He looked over at his scroll at on the counter under the mirror and above the sink he was leaning on. It was on the voicemail menu, having received one yesterday. He pressed the replay button.

 _"Hello, Mr. Kendrick,"_ the recording of a female voice spoke. _"This is Azura from Solstice. I'm calling you to inform you that your reservation has been accepted. We will send a car to pick you up at 7:00 P.M. tomorrow. We hope you enjoy your time here at Solstice."_

"Solstice!?" Robin called out shocked, nearly making Math jump out of his skin.

"The hell, man?!" Math shouted with annoyance.

"I was coming to take a shower," the archer clarified. "Didn't mean to spook you. Anyway…how can you afford to go to Solstice? It's one of the fancier restaurants in Vale, least of all get a reservation so quickly?"

"I managed to get good pay from some of the missions I had gone with Forest and Glaucus on in the past," the swordsman explained. "Second, I got a bit of help from a relative."

"You asked Uncle Gormen, didn't you?" Robin asked with a smirk.

"Sometimes, it helps having an uncle in the Vale Special Unit," Math commented. "I want tonight to be special."

"Why's that?" Robin asked.

"Tonight…I'm going to ask Pyrrha to be my girlfriend," Math announced to his cousin. Robin just looked at him for a minute until a huge smile stretched across his face.

"My man!" he cheered as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders, his scowl showing immense pride in his cousin.

"Thanks," Math responded. "Here's to her saying yes…and me being able to keep a good relationship with her."

"Are you kidding?" Robin asked. "Of course she'll say yes and of course you can keep a good relationship with her."

"Here's to the best then," Math spoke as he returned the embrace.

It was 5:30 P.M. now and Math was getting his attire ready for tonight: a moderate green dress shirt with a black tie, slacks and dress shoes. He looked over to his bed where his leather jacket was, thinking about bringing it, but decided against it…even though he REALLY wanted to bring it.

"You're looking fancy," Nasser commented. "You and Pyrrha doing something real nice tonight?"

"You could say that," the swordsman responded as he ironed his shirt. "Tonight, I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend."

"Really?" Ruo asked. "I'm happy for you. You and Pyrrha seem to get along very well."

"Plus, it's been obvious from day 1 that he liked her," Robin teased with a smirk. Math sighed as he ironed the sleeves of his green dress shirt.

"So, what about you, Robin?" Nasser asked, looking over at the archer. "Are you and Coco an official couple now?"

"Not yet," Robin answered. "We haven't really talked about it, but odds are if we did, I'd sweep her off her feet."

"Has anyone ever told you you're cocky?" Ruo asked.

"Sometimes," Robin responded as he smirked.

"Where are you taking her, Math?" Nasser asked Math.

"Solstice," he responded. Ruo and Nasser nearly jumped from their beds.

"How can you afford that?" the knife wielder asked.

"I used to go on Huntsman missions with my mentors," Math informed. "When I became more skilled, they would let me take part in the missions and sometimes split the pay with me."

"That explains why you have a good bit of money," Ruo pointed out. "How do you plan on getting there?"

"I arranged for a car to take us there since…I don't drive," Math hesitantly admitted.

"We got to teach you how to drive," Robin informed, much to his cousin's annoyance.

-0-

"Are you excited about tonight?" Nora asked Pyrrha as she helped with her makeup.

"I am," she replied, checking the red high heels she was going to wear tonight. "We've gone on lunch dates before, but not something this. He must have something special planned tonight."

"Maybe he'll ask you to be his girlfriend~" Nora teased, making her teammate blush.

"Nora, we're not dating, we're just…" Pyrrha stopped.

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that," the hammer user teased once more. "Jaune and Ren may not have picked up on it, but I have; you love Mathdon!"

"I do not!" Pyrrha replied in a defensive tone. "He's just a very good friend."

"Pyrrha, 'good friends' don't go on dates dressed like that," she said, pointing out Pyrrha's attire of a red sleeveless dress stopping at her thighs, green earrings hanging from her ears, and the beautiful red lipstick she had put on.

"He said it was a fancier occasion, so I wanted to look appropriate," Pyrrha justified. Nora continued to smirk.

"Stop denying it, Pyrrha," she insisted. "You're falling for him and you know it. Deny it all you want; you're not fooling me."

"Nora, can we please get back to my makeup?" the redhead Amazon asked, trying to change their focus.

"Okay, okay," Nora responded.

While the two continued with Pyrrha's makeup, the Amazon's mind was filled with thoughts about the date tonight. She was excited, scared, happy, nervous…like she had said, they had not done anything fancy like this before and it made her think of what Math may have in mind for tonight.

In honesty, if Math asked her to be his girlfriend, she would be excited, but unsure of what her answer would be. She wanted to say yes, but…she didn't know if she could him the love he deserved. She had never been in an actual relationship before and felt like she wouldn't be a good enough girlfriend for him.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Nora asked, noticing Pyrrha deep in thought.

"Oh, nothing," Pyrrha responded, but Nora wasn't buying it.

-0-

Math breathed heavily, breathing in and out as he stood in front of Team JNPR's dorm. He had never done something like this before, never taken a girl on a fancy date. But that wasn't what made him nervous. What made him nervous was the possibility of making things very uncomfortable between him and Pyrrha.

"There's no turning back now," Math pushed himself. He slowly reached his arm out to the dorm door, but paused just as he was about to knock. The nervousness of things going wrong ran wild in his mind. He didn't want to mess things up, but he also didn't want to remain just a friend to Pyrrha; he had simply fallen too deeply in love with the redhead Amazon. He exhaled and knocked three times; Pyrrha opened the door and Math felt like he was about to faint.

"Pyrrha, you…you look amazing," Math got out in segments, taken by how beautiful she looked. Pyrrha blushed and giggled at the swordsman's reaction.

"You look very sharp as well," she complimented. "I'm ready if you are."

"I am," Math responded as he held out his arm for Pyrrha to grab. He led her to the front of the school that could be accessed by car, where they sat down at a bench.

"What are we waiting for?" the redhead asked.

"Our ride," Math responded as he saw a pair of headlights approach. "That would be it." The vehicle approached the curb and the window lowered to reveal a man in a formal suit.

"Mr. Kendrick?" he asked.

"Yes," Math assured. The swordsman opened the door for Pyrrha, allowing her to sit on the side of the passenger, then he walked over to the other side and hopped in.

"What's going on?" Pyrrha asked with a smile. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Maty replied, not wanting to spoil the surprise.

The drive took about twenty minutes from Beacon to the restaurant. Upon arriving, Pyrrha covered her mouth in absolute shock.

"Solstice?" she asked.

"Yes," the swordsman answered with a smile. Pyrrha's emerald eyes met Math's brown and he could see that they were filled with surprise and happiness…just what he wanted. Math got out of the car first and opened Pyrrha's door, who was still in shock that they were at Solstice. Upon entering, they took in the beautiful interior of the restaurant.

The area was made of warm colors, such as yellow, orange and red. It had a calming feeling to it with the low music playing. There were no booths to be seen; only tables with two or four seats present.

"Math, if you don't mind me asking, how could you afford this?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, I had a good bit of money from some of those missions with Glaucus and Forest," Math answered. "As for getting the reservation quickly…my uncle in the VSU is not afraid to pull some strings."

"The VSU?" the redhead asked.

"Vale Special Unit," the swordsman clarified. "They're one of the top law enforcement units in Vale. They're top of the top."

"Mr. Kendrick?" the waiter at the front desk asked.

"Yes," Math responded. The waiter grabbed two menus and escorted them to a table next to a window, where they could see most of Vale lit up in the night.

"What do you think so far?" Math asked.

"It's beautiful," Pyrrha answered as she looked around. "We never went anywhere like this before."

"Tonight's special," Math explained.

" _Maybe he'll ask you to be his girlfriend~"_

Those words suddenly rang in Pyrrha's head after hearing Math say tonight was special. She noticed that Math was nervous, sometimes avoiding eye contact with her and scratching his beard.

"Is everything all right?" she asked. Math looked over to her and put on a brave smile.

"I'm fine," he assured, but it wasn't enough to convince Pyrrha. They looked at their menus and looked over what they wanted.

At times, Pyrrha would look up from her menu to check on Math, still retaining a nervous air to him. He was being less talkative than he'd usually be when they were together and she was starting to worry about him.

" _Pyrrha, I love you more than…no,"_ Math thought. _"Pyrrha, you are the most beautiful…no, that's a little too…Pyrrha, I am falling in love-have fallen in love…Son of a bitch! Why does this have to be so damn hard!? Why does it have to be so hard to tell her "I love you,"!?"_

Math thought he was prepared to tell Pyrrha his true feelings for her, to let her know how much she had fallen for her. He was broken out of his thoughts when a waiter came by and asked for what they wanted to drink; Pyrrha ordered a water while Math ordered a sweet tea. When the waiter walked away, the redhead turned her attention to the leader of Team MRRN.

"Math, what's going on?" she questioned. "You're barely making eye contact, you're being very quiet…this isn't like you. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Math answered. "I want tonight to be special because…" The waiter came back with their drinks, cutting Math off.

"Are you ready to order?" the waiter asked.

"We need some more time," Pyrrha answered. The waiter nodded his head and left the two students. They looked over their menus and decided on what they wanted; Math chose the Vale Prime Steak with a side salad and mashed potatoes while Pyrrha chose the Chicken Alfredo with a side salad as well and mixed veggies. The waiter came by a little later and took their orders.

"Math, talk to me," Pyrrha demanded. "What is bothering you?"

"Well," the swordsman started. "There's something I want to tell you, but…I don't know how." Pyrrha smiled and gently placed her hand on Math's.

"Just try," she insisted. "You don't have to be perfect with me." Math breathed a few times before feeling calm enough to tell her.

"I…I'm in…" It was becoming harder for Math to finish that sentence, that one sentence. He breathed again and again to relax himself, but it wasn't enough. The only way to finish was to force himself.

"I'm in love with you."

Those five words made time freeze around Pyrrha. She was silent, trying to process the five simple words that Math had just told her. Her eyes were full of surprise, excitement, happiness, fright…they were a mix of many emotions felt just by hearing him say that.

"You…you are the most amazing woman I've ever met," Math continued. "You're kind, you're strong, you're smart, you're caring, you're fun to be around…give me ten minutes and I'd write down a list of reasons why I love you."

Pyrrha was still quiet with no traces of happiness or fright in her scowl, only surprise. However, it was obvious that she was listening to every word Mathdon was saying.

"Pyrrha, I…I don't want to be just a friend anymore," he confessed. "I…I want to know…if you'd be willing to be my girlfriend?"

Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat and she felt herself gasp for air. Math had just done what Nora predicted he'd do; he had asked her to be his girlfriend. She was overwhelmed with many emotions and it prevented her from showing anything but shock and surprise on her face.

" _Yes! Yes! I'd love to be your girlfriend!"_

Pyrrha couldn't get those words out of her mouth. She couldn't deny it to herself; she too had fallen for Math. Despite everything he had been through, he was kind, caring, good-hearted, protective, and brave. He was a good young man…and it was the same young man that had won her over.

Sadly, her doubts began to fester in her head. She had never been in a relationship before and, as much as she wanted to be with Math, she was unsure if she could be the girlfriend he deserved. She didn't know if she could give him the love he deserved after everything he had been through.

"Math, I…" she stopped.

"Pyrrha?" the swordsman asked.

"Math…could I have some time to think about this?" she asked.

"Of course," the leader of Team MRRN replied. While his reaction showed comfort, his heart felt the exact opposite. He didn't feel good with Pyrrha's response, feeling that he may've just ruined his chances of a relationship with her.

The waiter came by with the food and placed it front of the two students. While they ate, it was mostly quiet due to them thinking to themselves about what had just been discussed.

Pyrrha had grown to love Math, but due to her celebrity status making everyone see her as too good for them, she had little experience with intimate, romantic relationships. Her mind was full of self-doubt, unsure if she could give Math the love he deserved.

Math, on the other hand, was nervous of pushing the subject. He could see that Pyrrha was still processing everything he had said and asked. He was unsure of what she was thinking, but on pure impulse, he asked "Are you okay, Pyrrha?" The redhead turned from her meal and gave Math a reassuring smile.

"I'm…I'm okay," she replied. "This is just…not what I expected, is all."

"That's why tonight was special," Math answered. "I wanted to confess my feelings for you, let you know how I really felt."

It meant so much to Pyrrha to hear him say that, to know how he truly felt about her. However, her mind remained conflicted about the simple question: yes or no?

-0-

"How do you think the date with Math and Pyrrha is going?" Robin asked his teammates as they were playing "Warrior Beasts".

"I think everything is going fine," Ruo replied. "He said he was going to ask her, but we shouldn't celebrate just yet."

"Come on," Robin responded as he threw Nasser's character off a ledge, annoying his teammate. "Why wouldn't Pyrrha say yes? Those two get along really well. Speaking of saying yes…why don't you ask Yang on a date?"

Ruo lost his grip on his scroll and quickly went to pick it up. His other two teammates laughed at his response.

"We saw her give you a kiss the night we were at the Docks," the archer brought up. "She's been having her eye on you for a while, now."

"Yang wouldn't be interested in me," Ruo calmly responded.

"What?" Robin gasped. "She gave you a kiss at the Docks, she's flirted with you on occasions-"

"Yang's flirted with a good number of guys ever since she came here," the Faunus cut him off.

"Yeah, but she's been paying special attention to you~" Nasser teased. "You're telling me you're going to ignore a hottie like her?"

"I'm just…" He sighed. "I'm just not good for dating."

"Mathdon thought that and now he's going to get a beautiful redhead girlfriend," Robin replied. "If he can get a girlfriend when he thought he couldn't, so can you."

"Robin, I'm not someone who has a lot of experience with dating women," the White Tiger responded. "Besides, in terms of personality, I think Yang and I have little in common. She's an extrovert, I'm an introvert. She's very outgoing and sometimes puts fun over work, I'm more reserved-"

"Stop," Robin interrupted with his usual cocky smirk. "Yang's into you and we can tell you're into her."

"Why would she be interested in me?" the Faunus asked, doubt in his tone.

"Maybe this could be a case of 'opposites attract'," Robin suggested as he tried to throw Nasser's character off a cliff again, but was thrown off instead.

"It's possible," Ruo responded. They continued their game for a while until they heard a knock on the door. Robin paused the game and opened the door, showing Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren.

"What's up?" the archer asked the two members of Team JNPR.

"Have you seen Jaune anywhere?" Ren asked. "We haven't seen him in a while and he's not answering his scroll."

"No, haven't seen him," Robin responded. "Let me see if he's nearby." He activated his Semblance, giving him a good thorough view of the dorm building they were in.

"What's his Aura color?" Robin asked.

"White," Ren answered. Robin looked around the area, looking for a person with a white outline, but saw no one.

"I don't see…wait a minute." Something caught his eye; a person with a white outline on the first floor at the bottom of the stairs, but he wasn't moving. What worried him was that the Aura outline was very faint, meaning his Aura was extremely low.

"I think I see him," the archer replied as he went out of the room, Ren and Nora following him to the stairs. They opened the door to the staircase and looked down. What they saw shocked them.

"JAUNE!"

-0-

Math placed his Lien card at the edge of the table with the check after he and Pyrrha asked for to-go boxes after being satisfied with their meals. They had managed to start a new conversation, but they were still being a bit reserved due to Math asking Pyrrha to be his girlfriend.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" Math asked his date, and hopefully, future girlfriend.

"I did," Pyrrha answered with her genuine smile. "I honestly didn't expect to come here. You've sometimes said how much you dislike fancy clothes and such."

"Well, like I said, tonight was special," Math answered. "However, I need to be honest; it will be a while before we can come back here."

"That's okay," Pyrrha assured. "I enjoy any time we get to hang that together." Her smile slowly faded away.

"Pyrrha?" Math asked her.

"Concerning your question…" she started but drifted off. "I'll give you an answer soon, I promise."

"Please," Math replied a bit quietly. After the waiter returned with Math's Lien card and everything was done, Pyrrha felt her scroll go off. She opened it to see 'Nora Valkyrie' under an image of Nora eating pancakes.

"I may need to take this," Pyrrha said as she answered.

"Hello?...What? What happened?..." Her face changed to one of shock and worry.

"We'll get back as soon as we can." Pyrrha hung up and grabbed Math's arm, leading him to the car that had drove them to Solstice.

"What's going on?" Math asked, worry in his tone.

"Something's happened to Jaune," Pyrrha informed. "We'll find out more when we get back to Beacon."

Math's eyes widened as they got back into the car and the driver took them back to Beacon. Upon arriving, the two of them hurried to the medical building.

"What happened to Jaune?" Math asked.

"Robin found him at the bottom of the stairs of the dorm building unconscious," Pyrrha answered. "They've taken him to the medical building. I hope he's okay." The two of them rushed to Room 25 where Jaune had been taken. When they got there, Nora, Ren, Math's teammates and Team RWBY were all there, along with Sun Wukong.

"Will Jaune be okay?" Pyrrha asked.


	18. Whodunnit?

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 18: Whodunnit?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

 **Hades, Volume 2 is not out yet. I will finish Volume 1 and then start the next one.**

"Mr. Arc has suffered trauma to his spine and his head," Dr. Chiffon informed. "He also had small burn marks around his eyes. Based on this, he had to have fallen quite a distance, maybe from your floor to the bottom."

"Fallen?" Pyrrha questioned. "Those stairs have four feet tall railings. He couldn't have simply fallen off."

"These injuries are simply too bad to have fallen down one flight of stairs," Dr. Chiffon responded. "Luckily, his Aura prevented it from being fatal."

"So that's why his Aura was very faint," Robin concluded. "It saved him from the impact when he was thrown off." Those last two words made Math and Pyrrha look at the Kendrick archer.

"Thrown off?" Pyrrha asked with shock in her voice.

"What happened to Jaune was not an accident," Dr. Chiffon informed, shocking everyone to their core.

"Using my Semblance, I found heat traces on the back of Jaune's pants near the ankle, probably from the hands of the person that did this to him," Robin informed. "It wasn't as visible as usual, so the attacker must've worn gloves."

"Did they leave a trail?" Math asked.

"I didn't have time, we had to get Jaune here to help him," Robin responded. "It's probably grown cold by now."

"So…someone tried to kill Jaune?" Pyrrha asked with controlled rage in her voice.

"I'm afraid so, Ms. Nikos," Dr. Chiffon replied. "I've already informed Professor Ozpin. We plan to discover who was responsible for this."

"What about camera footage?" Weiss asked. "There are cameras inside the stairwells and near the entrances."

"I already checked," Nasser responded. "The cameras where Jaune was thrown off and the entrance were shorted out. Whether it was Semblance or something else, I don't know, but we can't recover anything from it. Someone was covering their tracks…or at least trying."

"Why would someone do this?" Nora asked. "Jaune's never done anything to hurt anyone."

"It doesn't matter," Pyrrha hissed, her eyes looking down and tightly gripping the side of Jaune's bed. "When I find the person who did this, I'll do more than break their legs."

"What about the burn marks?" Weiss asked. "There's no way he could've gotten those from the fall."

"I don't know," Dr. Chiffon admitted. "It's possible that Jaune may've been attacked using Fire Dust before he was thrown off. We'll have to check the area before we can decide for certain. Why don't you go ahead and get some sleep? Jaune will be unconscious for a while, so he'll stay here. I'll keep you informed of his condition."

Everyone slowly walked out, anger, solemnness and sadness in their scowls and eyes. The most obvious were those from Team JNPR, outraged at someone trying to get rid of their team leader. Math walked up to Pyrrha and put his hand on her shoulder; just as he did, he heard sniffles.

"Pyrrha?" Math asked. "We'll find who-" He couldn't finish as Pyrrha hugged him, burying her face into his neck and crying heavily. Math quickly returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Pyrrha.

"Hold me tight," she pleaded. Math wrapped his arms tighter around Pyrrha, her tears still coming.

"Why would someone do this?" she asked with sniffles. "Jaune never did anything wrong. He's a kind and good person…and someone tried to kill him!" Her crying grew louder, but muffled by burying her face deeper into Math's neck. All the swordsman could do was hold her as she cried over someone wanting to kill one of her friends.

Finally, her crying stopped and she retracted her face from Math's neck. Her makeup was all over her face, some of it having smeared onto Math's shirt.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as she touched the stains on his shirt.

"Don't worry about it," the swordsman responded as he gently took Pyrrha's hand and moved it away from the stains of her makeup.

"Can you…walk me back to my dorm?" she asked. Math nodded his head and walked with her back to her dorm. By the time they reached the door, Pyrrha's eyes had cleared up; she sniffled and looked at Mathdon.

"Thank you," she spoke as she took one of his hands in hers. She wanted to give him a kiss, but stopped herself because she knew it'd be leading him on when she hadn't given Math an answer yet.

"Good night," she spoke as she unlocked the door to her dorm and walked inside. Math exhaled heavily as he walked back to his own dorm, unlocked the door and strolled inside.

"Hey, Math," Nasser greeted, quickly taking notice of the smeared makeup on his shirt. "What happened?"

"Pyrrha didn't take this well," Math responded as he took his dress shirt off, showing his black undershirt.

"Why would she?" Ruo said. "Someone tried to kill her friend and teammate."

"Which is why we need to find out who did this," Math responded as he took off his slacks and put on pajama pants.

"Ozpin's already been informed," Ruo brought up. "I'm sure he can handle the situation."

"Ruo, Jaune is our friend and someone tried to kill him," Math reminded. "What kind of friends would we be if we didn't try to find the person responsible?"

"Well, I'm on board," Nasser spoke. "No one messes with our friends and gets away."

"Count me in," Robin agreed. They then looked over to Ruo, wondering if he would still suggest letting Ozpin handle this. He sighed.

"I hate what happened to Jaune too, but…let me ask you; if we find this person, what will you do?" The fierce determination from his teammates disappeared in light of the Faunus's question. They wanted to find the person responsible, but what would they do if they found them? Ruo exhaled.

"The person who did this to Jaune deserves to be punished," the White Tiger agreed. "But if we found them, what would stop us from acting on anger and beating them to a bloody pulp?"

"Well, maybe, that's what they deserve," Math growled. "This wasn't just plain bullying; someone attempted to murder Jaune."

"I understand that," Ruo responded. "But if we do, we could get in as much trouble as they will be."

"Then we just find them and tell Ozpin when we've found them," Robin suggested. "That way, they can be punished right." Math exhaled; he didn't want to just turn them over to Ozpin, he wanted to make them pay for what they had done to Jaune. But Ruo was right. If they did give him a beatdown, their anger could blind them to how much damage they were doing and they could carried away, leading to them getting in severe trouble as well.

"Fine," Math agreed. "We find the person who did this, we get evidence that they did it and then we inform Ozpin. Agreed?"

"Then I'm in," Ruo replied, liking how his team leader was open and understanding to what he had said.

"We start tomorrow then," Math informed. "We'll be better suited to deal with this after a good night's sleep."

-0-

The next day, Team MRRN had no classes, so they were going to get started on finding the one responsible for nearly killing Jaune by pushing him off the stairwell to the floor.

"Alright, well, Jaune doesn't have a lot of enemies, so it'd probably wouldn't be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Robin informed. "Can we think of anyone who'd do this?"

"Honestly, only two people come to mind: Cardin Winchester and Gaspar Dorado," Math responded. "Both of them bullied him and both had reasons to dislike him. Also, both of their dorms are on this floor, which is where the cameras were disabled."

"But Cardin has left him alone ever since he returned from suspension," Ruo brought up. "Normally, I'd think he's doing it in secret, but Jaune has enough confidence now to stand up to him. However, we shouldn't ignore that Cardin is physically superior to Jaune and could easily have done this."

"I don't think it was Cardin," Nasser replied. "Cardin may be a jackass, but that's all he is. He's just a jackass who needed a lesson in manners."

"So for now, we don't have enough to believe he'd do this, but we can't rule him out," Math concluded. "Odds are if we try to ask his teammates about it, they may lie to protect him; they did it before, so there's no way we can trust them."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Nasser asked.

"For now, we keep an eye on both Cardin and Gaspar," Math responded. "If we find out anything, we tell each other first. Are we agreed?" All of them nodded their heads.

"Sounds good to me," a random voice spoke from their window. They turned to see none other than Sun Wukong hanging upside down from a branch with his tail.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nasser questioned, threatening to close the window on Sun.

"Hold on, hold on," Sun responded, shaking his hands. "I'm here to help."

"Help?" Math asked, unsure of what the Monkey Faunus meant.

"Yeah, help you find the one who did this to Jaune," Sun clarified as he leapt into the room.

"And why should we trust a kleptomaniac like you?" Ruo questioned. He knew of Sun's reputation of occasionally stealing items, making him skeptical towards the Monkey Faunus.

"Ruo, he may be a bit of a thief, but he's not a liar," Math responded. "Maybe we could use his help…if he keeps his hands off our belongings." They all looked over to Sun, who was already grabbing Nasser's knives, making the warrior grab his knives away from him.

"Touch my knives again and I'll strangle you," Nasser warned. Sun backed off in response to the knife wielder's threat.

"Again, how would you be able to help us?" Ruo asked.

"Come on, Jaune's a friend and what happened to him was messed up," Sun responded. "Neptune and I have always wanted to do some detective work."

"Who?" Math asked.

"Neptune, my teammate and best friend," Sun clarified. "And waiting outside the window." Team MRRN rushed over to look outside the window and a male a little taller than Robin with tanned skin, light blue hair, a tie and jacket like Robin and was seen wielding a type of firearm on his back.

"You're Neptune?" Robin asked.

"Yep," he responded. "Can I- Can I come in now?" They made way for the blue haired male to enter their room.

"Do you always do things like this?" Ruo asked. "Waiting outside people's windowsills?"

"Come on, man, lighten up," Neptune responded.

"Well…I guess you guys can help, but we're doing this our way," Math sternly informed. "We find the person who did this and then we tell Professor Ozpin."

"Sure," Sun agreed.

"Sun, if you've stolen anything, put it back," Ruo warned. The Monkey Faunus sighed as he took a bag of chips back on Nasser's bed.

"Seriously?" Math asked, to which Sun's response was a shrug of his shoulders.

-0-

"Alright, everyone knows what to do?" Math asked.

"Sun, Neptune and I will keep an eye on Cardin," Robin replied.

"That leaves Ruo, Nasser and I with Gaspar," Math spoke. "We'll need solid evidence if we're to convince Ozpin, so keep your eyes open for anything that could prove their guilt. Now let's do this." The six of them walked out of the dorm, with Math, Ruo, and Nasser walking in one direction while Sun, Neptune and Robin walked off in the other.

"Are there any cameras near Cardin's dorm?" Neptune asked Robin.

"Haven't had time to check," the archer responded and led them to Team CRDL's dorm. They looked around the hallway for any cameras and found one.

"Let's see if it's shorted out," Robin responded. "The cameras near where Jaune was thrown off and the entrance where the assailant entered the stairwell were shorted out." Neptune looked up at it and shook his head.

"It's still going," he informed. "If Cardin did it, why would he leave this camera running?"

"Probably because it'd look much more suspicious," Robin said. "A shorted-out camera right where his dorm was could be a dead giveaway."

"Let's ask them," Sun insisted as he knocked on Team CRDL's door. The door opened to the leader himself.

"What do you want?" he asked rudely. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"We've got some questions for you and we need them answered," Sun replied.

"Go away," Cardin demanded. As he tried to close the door, Sun kicked it and kept it from closing.

"I said go away," Cardin growled as he pushed on the door.

"Someone tried to kill Jaune last night," Robin informed. Cardin's angry mug twisted to one of shock.

"What?" he gasped.

"Someone threw him off the railing of the stairs from the 4th floor to the bottom," Robin continued. "He would've died if his Aura hadn't been active." It didn't take long for Cardin to understand what was happening.

"Hold on," he insisted. "You don't think…I did it…do you?"

"You bullied Jaune for a while," Robin pointed out. "You tried to unleash Rapier Wasps on Pyrrha when she-"

"I know!" Cardin interrupted. "I let my anger get the better of me and I tried to hurt Pyrrha. But I didn't try to kill Jaune."

"How are we supposed to know you're telling the truth?" Neptune questioned. "He was found around 7:05."

"7:15," Robin corrected.

"This happened last night, right?" Cardin asked for clarification. "I was at the gym last night, fighting that big guy from Team CFVY."

"He got his ass kicked!" Russel shouted out, much to his leader's annoyance. Robin narrowed his eyes at the leader of Team CRDL.

"Alright, I'll ask him," Robin responded. He opened up his scroll and dialed Coco's number. He waited for a few moments before it answered.

" _Hey, baby,"_ Coco greeted.

"Hey, Coco," Robin responded. "Was Yatsu training with Cardin at the gym last night around 7:15?"

" _Yeah, Cardin got real arrogant and thought he could beat him in a fight, but Yatsu mopped the floor with him,"_ Coco confirmed. _"Why do you ask?"_

"I needed to know," Robin responded. "It's something I can't tell you over the scroll. I'll tell you later, okay?"

" _Uh, sure,"_ Coco replied, unsure of what was going on. _"I'll talk to you later, baby."_

"Take care," Robin said before hanging up. "Well, Cardin's off the hook…for now. Let's go." Sun removed his foot from Team CRDL's dorm door and the three of them walked away. As they did, Robin dialed Math's number.

" _What's up?"_ Math asked.

"We just questioned Cardin," Robin informed. "He said he was at the gym with Yatsu last night when Jaune was thrown off. I called Coco and she confirmed it, so I think it's safe to say Cardin didn't do it."

" _Then that leaves Gaspar for now,"_ Math responded. _"We haven't had time to ask his teammates. We'll head over to his dorm and see if his teammates are there. I'll keep you informed."_

"Sounds good," Robin replied. "Talk to you later." He then hung up his scroll, but turned his head when he heard crunching. He saw Sun eating the same bag of chips that he had taken from Nasser's bunk.

"Sun…" he sighed.

-0-

"So, was Gaspar made team leader again?" Nasser asked.

"Ozpin told me he hasn't," Ruo answered. "He said he'd have to prove himself if he wanted to be team leader again."

"Well, if it turns out he's the one who did this to Jaune, he'll never have that chance," Math spoke as they approached Team GOLD's dorm. He knocked on the door and it opened to reveal Orchid Wilson.

"Where's Gaspar?" Math asked directly.

"He's not here," she answered. "He was called to Ozpin's office earlier. Don't know why."

"Was he here in the dorm last night?" Math asked.

"This is his dorm," Orchid reminded. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Was he here around…when was Jaune found?" Math asked Ruo.

"Around 7:15," the White Tiger informed. Orchid paused for a moment.

"He was here, but…he was gone for a while," she admitted. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have studying to do." She then gently closed the door.

"Is there a camera here?" Math asked as they looked around.

"There's one," Nasser pointed out. He walked over to it and checked to see if it was still working.

"It's still going," he informed. "If Gaspar tried to kill Jaune, why would he leave this camera going?"

"It would look suspicious," Ruo informed. "Plus, it'd be a dead giveaway."

"Well, Gaspar is our top suspect for now," Math concluded. "But until Ozpin is done with him, maybe it'd be a good idea to go and check the area where Jaune was thrown off. The camera may be dead, but maybe there's something there we're missing."

"Sounds good," Ruo agreed. Math took out his scroll and opened the text menu, getting ready to text Robin. What caught his attention was a notification from Pyrrha that he had received nearly thirty minutes ago. He pressed on the notification and it showed her text, reading "Would you be willing to meet me at the library around 11?"

"What's up?" Nasser asked.

"Pyrrha sent me a text, asking me to meet her at the library in about a half hour," Math replied.

"Are you going to?" Nasser asked.

"We have to find out what happened to Jaune," Ruo reminded. "Math, I know you care about Pyrrha, but we agreed to find out what happened to Jaune."

"And we will," Math spoke sternly before sighing. "I'll at least check with Pyrrha and see if it's important. If it's something that can wait, then I'll meet up with her later."

"Do it anyway," Robin insisted as he approached with Sun and Neptune. Nasser immediately caught sight of the bag of chips in Sun's hands.

"Are those my chips?" he angrily asked.

"Yeah," Sun sheepishly replied. Nasser grabbed Shafarnasr and prepared to attack the Faunus, but Ruo held him back.

"Well, what's our next move?" Robin asked, turning his attention to Math. "Besides checking on your girl?"

"Math has a girlfriend?" Neptune asked.

"Not yet, but he will," Robin informed with his cocky smile. "So will I."

"If we can focus, we're heading to where Jaune was thrown off to see if there's anything we can find."

"Sounds good," Robin agreed. "Go on ahead and meet up with Pyrrha. We'll let you know if we find anything."

"You're okay with this?" Math asked for assurance.

"Of course," the archer responded. "See you in a little bit." Math smiled and bro hugged his cousin before walking off to meet up with Pyrrha.

The other five went to where Jaune had been thrown off, which was near the entrance to the stairwell. Upon arriving, Robin activated his Semblance to look for anything. He found something when he looked at the wall.

"Look here," he pointed out as he grabbed a small red crystal that was lodged into the wall. "This is a Fire Dust crystal. It was shattered into many pieces and it's been here for a while."

"That would explain the burn marks around Jaune's eyes," Ruo concluded. "Can you find any fingerprints on it?"

"Only a very small fraction of one," Robin informed. "It's not enough to know who had it."

"What about this?" Neptune asked as he pointed out a small, shredded piece of black cloth caught in a large crack in the wall. Robin walked over to it and again used his Semblance to inspect it. He felt it and noticed who smooth and soft it was.

"This has to be from slacks," Robin concluded. "There's a bigger fingerprint on here, but it's still not enough to make a solid conclusion."

"Well, we know Gaspar LOVES wearing slacks," Nasser pointed out.

"Who's this Gaspar guy?" Neptune asked.

"Biggest prick in Beacon, that's who," Nasser replied. "Total jackass, thinks he never does anything wrong, crap womanizer and got himself suspended when he attacked one of his own teammates."

"Wow," Neptune responded. "Sounds like he doesn't belong here."

"Alright, judging by where this cloth was and where the remains of the Fire Dust are, it's possible that maybe Jaune managed to land a hit on that person before he threw Fire Dust at him and threw him off the railing," Robin concluded. "We have to tell Ozpin about this. It'll help narrow the search." The archer grabbed the piece of cloth and put it in his pocket.

"Let's go," he spoke as they walked down the stairs to get to Ozpin's office.

-0-

"Are you certain?" the Beacon Headmaster asked as the archer handed him the piece of cloth he had found in the stairwell.

"Absolutely, sir," Robin answered. "We think Jaune caught onto what was happening and tried to stop this person, but they threw a Fire Dust crystal at him and managed to throw him off the railing."

"That would explain the burn marks on his eyes," Goodwitch concluded.

"The attacker must've been in a rush or really careless to have not gotten rid of this evidence or use Fire Dust," Ozpin pointed out. "Well, this will help narrow the search. If we're lucky, we'll be able to find the person by checking the fingerprint you found. Thank you for bringing me this information."

"You're welcome," Robin replied. Ozpin then looked over to Sun.

"Mr. Wukong, whatever you've taken, please put it back," he demanded. Sun sighed as he took out Ozpin's mug and placed it back on the desk.

"You do realize you could get in serious trouble for stealing from your Headmaster, correct?" Goodwitch warned the Monkey Faunus. Sun chuckled nervously.

"Sorry, bad habit," he apologized.

"Mr. Wukong, I understand that Vacuo is not big on rules, but this is not Vacuo," Ozpin stated. "You must understand that there are rules here that you must follow, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sun answered.

"You've already garnered a reputation for being a kleptomaniac," Goodwitch brought up. "Please put a stop to that behavior of yours."

"I'll try," Sun replied.

"Again, thank all of you for getting me this information," Ozpin thanked. "Though I must admit, I'm surprised Math isn't with you."

"He was…but something popped up," Robin responded. "Let's just hope that we can find the person who did this to Jaune." Ozpin's scroll went off. He took it off his desk and answered.

"Hello?" he greeted. "What?...Are you certain?...Take her to the medical wing immediately. I'll join up with you." He hung up.

"What's wrong?" Neptune asked.

"Jaune's not the only victim now," Ozpin informed. "Ms. Scarlatina was found beaten in the janitor's closet."

"WHAT!?" Robin shouted. "How bad?"

"Very," Ozpin answered with a very grim tone. "Luckily, she's awake. She might be able to tell us who did this to her."

"Do her teammates know about this?" Robin asked.

"They've already been informed," Ozpin replied. "Let's go." The five students travelled with Ozpin and Goodwitch to the medical wing to check on Velvet. On their way, Robin took out his scroll and texted Math to come meet them at the medical wing.

It took a while for them to get there; when they did, they saw Velvet with bruises and scratches on her body. Her teammates surrounded the medical bed, giving off an air of worry and dread in response to the state their teammate was in.

"Oh, man," Robin whispered as he looked at Velvet.


	19. Tarnished Gold

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 19: Tarnished Gold**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

Math had been waiting at the library for Pyrrha for a good while now in a more private part of the library. He had borrowed one of the books from a shelf and read it as he waited for her to arrive at 11. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he looked over to see the person he had been expecting.

"Hey, Pyrrha," Math greeted.

"Hello," she replied. The swordsman noticed she was blushing very hard, doing her best to hide her face from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he reached out to grab her hand. He thought she's pull away, but she instead allowed him to hold it.

"I've been thinking about what you asked on our date," Pyrrha started. "Before I give you my answer, there's something I wish to tell you first." She finally made eye contact with him and held his free hand with her own.

"Math, you are someone I've come to care about very much," she explained. "You're kind, caring, funny, determined, and, despite everything you've been through, you've made it. You made it to Beacon and that is something to be so proud of."

Math couldn't break eye contact with her. He couldn't stop looking into her beautiful emerald eyes belonging to the woman he had fallen for.

"When you told me you loved me…I felt my world stop for a minute," Pyrrha continued. "I had spent so much time alone, unable to make true friends that I thought I'd never hear that from anyone. I thought every man I met would think I was too good for them or…just use me. You have no idea how much it means to me to finally be with people who view me as a friend instead of a celebrity."

"Where are you going with this?" Math asked her, unknowingly leaning his face closer to hers.

"Math…I've…I've…" Before she could finish, Math had unconsciously pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened in shock before she slowly closed them and wrapped her arms around Math's neck while he wrapped his arms around her torso.

They both melted into the kiss, Math enjoying the sweet taste of her lips and Pyrrha enjoying being held by the man she loved. They remained this way for a while, overwhelmed by happiness, until the need for air became too much to bear. When they retracted their lips, Math realized what he had done and his eyes widened.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry!" he apologized. "I didn't mean…I mean, I wanted to, but-" He was stopped when Pyrrha gently placed her hand on his lips.

"My answer is yes," she whispered. "I want to be your girlfriend. I…I love you, Math." She didn't give him a chance to react before she placed her head on his chest. Pyrrha giggled when she heard how fast Math's heartbeat was going, almost as it was working a machine at a demanding rate.

"Math…" she said in a soothing tone in hopes of calming him down as she took his face in her hands and gave him a peck on his lips.

Suddenly, Math's scroll went off. He quickly pulled it out, knowing it would probably be from one of his teammates. He read the text and his eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked.

"Velvet was attacked too," Math answered, putting his scroll back in his pocket. "She's in the medical wing."

"I'll come with you," Pyrrha insisted, to which Math showed no resistance.

-0-

"Who did this to you?" Coco demanded, her shades removed to show her weeping brown eyes and her tear-stained cheeks. She knew Velvet had been bullied by several people due to her Faunus heritage, but this…this crossed a line. Ozpin sat down next to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Ms. Scarlatina, are you well enough to tell us what happened?" he asked. Velvet nodded her head and began to explain what had happened.

"I was walking down the hallway when I felt a blunt force on the back of my head. Before I could react, the attacker took a pipe and started beating me with it. I managed to grab the pipe and throw it, but the attacker used Fire Dust on me and I couldn't see. That person started hitting me with their fists, punching and clawing however they could. The beating I got was so bad that I lost consciousness. I don't know what happened after that."

"You were taken to the janitor's closet and left there, but the door was left unlocked," Ozpin informed. "That's strange. Anyone who gives someone a beating like that would want to lock the door so they couldn't get out."

"Maybe they got careless again," Robin suggested. "Velvet, do you remember anything distinguishing about them?"

"They were wearing all black clothing," Velvet answered. "I couldn't see anything other than they had golden eyes and had a necklace with a 'D' on it."

The room fell silent. Everyone knew only one person with golden eyes and had a 'D' symbol.

"That son of a bitch!" Nasser shouted. "I knew it was him!"

"Calm down," Ozpin demanded rather sternly. Just then, Mathdon and Pyrrha arrived at the room and were shocked to see the condition Velvet was in.

"What happened?" the swordsman demanded to know.

"Gaspar, that's who!" Nasser informed. "I knew he hadn't changed!"

"Hold on," Ozpin demanded. "I will speak with him and find out what happened. If he is indeed responsible for this, then he will be punished accordingly." He turned over to Professor Goodwitch.

"Bring him to my office," he instructed. Glynda nodded and walked off to find the Dorado heir.

Robin looked over at Coco, who was trying to regain her usual confident face, but was failing miserably due to seeing her friend in such a condition. He walked over to her and put his arm around her in a very comforting gesture.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. Coco looked up at him and tried to smile, but failed. She exhaled and gently placed her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Robin," she got out. The archer smiled warmly as he wrapped his arms around her and she returned the gesture.

-0-

"Professor, I promise, I didn't do it," Gaspar pleaded, having been informed by the Headmaster of what had happened.

"You are the heir to the Dorado Mining Company, meaning you could have as much Dust as you want," Goodwitch responded. "Ms. Scarlatina said she saw someone with golden eyes and a necklace with a 'D' on it, which happens to be the necklace you're wearing." Gaspar sighed as he looked down.

"I don't deny who I was," he admitted. "I was selfish, I was arrogant, I was unkind and uncaring and short-tempered…I was your worst student." Ozpin looked at him and realized he was being genuine about this, a complete contrast to the student who had been here before.

"I was not acting at all like I should've," Gaspar continued. "But I promise you; I am not that person anymore. Yes, I wanted to get back at everyone for my suspension, but I realized that it was no one's fault but mine. I swear, I didn't try to kill Jaune or beat up Velvet."

"Mr. Dorado, your teammate, Orchid, said that you were out of your dorm room when Mr. Arc was attacked AND when Ms. Scarlatina was brutalized," Goodwitch informed. "Where were you during those times?"

"Last night, I got into a fight with Orchid, so I went to blow off some steam and went to the hot tubs," Gaspar answered. "This morning, I left my necklace in my dorm while I was in the showers."

"What times were you there?" Ozpin requested for information.

"Umm…for the hot tubs, about 6:55 to 7:30," Gaspar replied. "For the showers, I was there from 8:30 to about 9:20."

"Let us ask Ms. Scarlatina," Ozpin suggested as he activated his scroll and placed it on his desk to put on speaker.

"Yes, Professor?" Dr. Chiffon greeted.

"Doctor, could you please give the scroll to Ms. Scarlatina?" he asked. There was a bit of noise before hearing "Hello?" Velvet's weakened voice sent a chill down Gaspar's spine.

"Ms. Scarlatina, do you remember what time you were attacked?" the Headmaster asked. There was a moment of pause from the Rabbit Faunus.

"I think it was around…9:00," she answered. "I had come from breakfast around 8:50."

"Thank you," Ozpin said before hanging up. "Before you're off the hook, we need to check the surveillance cameras to ensure you were at the places you said. If you're lying about this, then I don't think I need to warn you of the consequences."

"I understand," Gaspar replied. "Will that be all?"

"For now," Ozpin said, granting the Dorado heir permission to leave.

"Do you really think he did this?" Goodwitch asked Ozpin after Gaspar had left.

"Before his suspension, it wouldn't surprise if he did, but…I must admit, he seems much more genuine now," Ozpin replied. "I don't think he did it."

"But the torn cloth, the Fire Dust, the necklace…if he's not doing this, then who is?" Goodwitch wondered.

"My guess is someone is trying to frame him," the Headmaster assumed. "He did make a lot of enemies in the past. However, until we check to make sure he's telling the truth, we can't rule him out."

-0-

Gaspar walked away from Ozpin's office and to the dorm building, heading to the roof. Once there, he looked off into the distance, looking all around the Beacon campus.

He knew who he was in the past. He was arrogant, selfish, uncaring, unkind, rude, and just plain unpleasant. He felt he had no right to sugarcoat it in any way after all the things he had thought, he had done, and people he had hurt.

"Did you do it?" a voice growled. Gaspar turned around to see Mathdon, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed, his scowl showing his complete intolerance of any lies. The Dorado heir sighed in response.

"No, I didn't do it," he answered. He could tell Math was not convinced, though he knew he wouldn't.

"Jaune was thrown off a railing and would've died if his Aura hadn't been active," Math brought up. "Orchid said you were gone for a while last night. Velvet said her attacker had golden eyes and wore that necklace. How do you explain that?"

"I promise I don't know," the Dorado heir replied. "Math, I know that you think I'm responsible for what happened, that I'm still the monster I was-"

"Maybe you are!" Math interrupted. "Maybe this whole apologetic behavior is nothing but a charade so no one will suspect you of trying to hurt Jaune and Velvet. Maybe you've learned nothing and still want to hurt everyone you blame for your suspension."

"I'm not that person anymore," Gaspar claimed once again, trying hard not to raise his voice. Ever since he had come back, he had endured scorn and insults for his past behavior. The sad truth was that he deserved to be scolded for what he had done, but the truth was also that he was trying to change for the better.

"You expect me to believe that you changed in a month when you couldn't do it in almost a semester?" the swordsman questioned.

"I don't expect you to," Gaspar admitted. "I won't lie about who I was. I was selfish, arrogant, uncaring…I was the worst student here in Beacon."

"Even though you spent your whole life getting whatever you wanted," Math brought up. "Even when you had everything you could've wanted, you still acted like a selfish brat."

That statement made Gaspar lose his calmness. He slowly walked up to the swordsman, as if preparing to try and beat him up.

"Everything I've wanted?" he snarled, making direct eye contact with Math. "You want to know what my life was like back home, then ask me 'What is your life like?'."

Math thought it over for a moment, thinking of Gaspar's request. What could he possibly have to say that would make him feel sorry for him? In his eyes, he was the same spoiled brat who spent nearly the entire semester degrading and harassing everyone. He sighed and gave in.

"What is your life like?" he asked.

"My father may seem like a good man, but in my eyes, he cares more about reputation than he does about his own family," Gaspar started. "It was always work, work, work with him. He says he raised me, but in reality, he was always too preoccupied with his company to even bother with me. Whenever he did interact with me, it was to get on me for whenever I did something wrong." Math's hostile scowl began to fade away, turning into one of sympathy.

"On top of that, my mom was no better," Gaspar continued. "While he was doing his things with his company, she was out socializing, drinking, shopping…even managed to have a few affairs without my father knowing. Even if he did find out, he'd keep it under the radar so he can keep his 'stainless' reputation."

"So…he's like Jacques Schnee?" Math asked, his anger towards the Dorado heir dwindling more.

"No, he's not," Gaspar answered. "He's not a monopolizing tycoon like him, but…if he ever told anyone how much he cared about me, I'd hope they'd know right away it's a lie."

Math was wrong. Sure, Gaspar had been a completely unlikeable jackass before, but hearing these things from him about how he seemed to have had everything he wanted, but really didn't, made his hostility towards the Dorado heir completely break.

"Don't you understand?" he asked, his voice breaking a little. "My father may be a good businessman, but he cares about his company more than he cares about me. My mother cares about having fun than she does about me." He breathed heavily.

"People say there are many things you can do to hurt a child," Gaspar continued on, his voice breaking and trembling. "The worst thing a parent can do to hurt their child…simply not love them." A tear started to run down his right cheek, which Math caught sight of.

"Don't you get it?" he asked. "They left me with nothing." He turned away and looked towards the far distance.

Whatever anger Math held for the Dorado was now gone. He had assumed that Gaspar had gotten everything he had ever wanted his entire life and was a complete jackass because of it. Now…his opinion of him had changed. He knew very well the pain of not being loved by a parent, what it could do to a person.

"It'd be so easy for everyone if I said I did it, wouldn't it?" Gaspar asked, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Everyone would believe it. They'd believe I never changed and was simply waiting for my moment to strike." Math sighed.

"What made you change?" he asked, making the Dorado turn and make eye contact with him.

"We had new staff at the manor after some of them were fired," Gaspar started. "Two of them showed me…paid much closer attention to me than any of them. They weren't afraid to set me straight, but they also weren't afraid to show affection for me. They did for me what my parents never did…they treated me like a part of their family instead of just something to give stuff and leaving it at that. For the first time in a long time, I…" He exhaled.

"I'm sorry for everything I did while I was here," Gaspar apologized. "I am not that person anymore and I did not try to kill Jaune or hurt Velvet."

"It's okay," Math replied, his voice filled with sympathy where it was once filled with hate. "I believe you."

"Then you're the first," he stated. "Almost everyone else is ready to throw me to the wolves. I can't blame them, though."

"But if you didn't do it, then who did?" the swordsman asked the Dorado.

"I don't know," Gaspar answered. "All I know is that I didn't do it." Math was about to speak until the door opened and Pyrrha walked onto the rooftop. She offered a warm smile to her new boyfriend, but it quickly soured when she saw Gaspar.

"You," she snarled. "How dare you come back here when you-"

"Pyrrha!" Math called as he stopped her from approaching Gaspar. "I don't think he did it." The redhead's eyes widened.

"How can you say that?" she questioned. "That man has every reason to hurt Jaune. He nearly died!"

"I know," the swordsman spoke. "This morning, I would've jumped on board with you, but now…Gaspar claims he didn't do it…and I believe him."

"You believe him?" Pyrrha questioned, her usual calm and reliable judgment clouded by anger and hurt. "Are you forgetting what he did to you? To me? To us? To our friends? How are we supposed to know he's not lying?"

"I know why you're angry," Gaspar spoke out, becoming the victim of Pyrrha's angry glare. "I don't deny who I was. I was selfish and arrogant and I thought I could have whatever I wanted, but I promise you, I didn't try to kill Jaune."

"Liar!" Pyrrha cried out, tears starting to wet her eyes. "You didn't see him on that hospital bed, told that he could've died!"

"Pyrrha…" Math tried to calm her.

"No!" she shouted, a mix of anger and sadness in her voice. "No one will forget who you are, Gaspar Dorado! You're the same selfish monster who never cared about anyone but himself. Why won't you just say it?"

"Because he didn't do it!" Math said, making Pyrrha look at him. Her eyes were filled with anger at the Dorado heir, sadness for the near death of her friend and confusion to why Math would defend Gaspar after hating him so much.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Because…I believe him," Math answered. "I'm not asking you to like him. Please, trust me."

"I do trust you and I love you," Pyrrha spoke, turning her attention over to Gaspar. "It's him I don't trust."

"I know," Gaspar spoke, keeping his distance from Pyrrha. "You have no reason to trust me. If I can, how can I gain your trust?" The redhead's angry glare went away as she retreated into thought.

How could Gaspar gain her trust after everything he's done? In her deepest thoughts, she just wanted to continue blaming him for what happened to Jaune. She wanted to condemn him because of all the things he had done in the past. This was against her character, to be so filled with anger, and she knew it, but she didn't want to care. The only reason she could was because of the insistence of her boyfriend.

"If…it turns out you're not responsible…" she paused for a moment, thinking carefully of what she was going to say. "If you're not responsible for this, then…I'll trust you." Math held Pyrrha close, wrapping her arms around her until he felt she was calm enough to leave. When she was, she gently grabbed Math's face and placed a kiss on his lips before walking away.

"So you and her are a couple now?" Gaspar asked.

"We are," Math confirmed.

-0-

It was near evening. Robin walked to the showers, holding his sleeping clothes and towel in his left arm. His mind was running over the new information that had been presented to him.

"Ozpin said his story check's out," the archer reminded to himself. "He couldn't have been the one behind these beatings. But if he's not doing it, then who is? Hopefully, we'll be able to learn more tomorrow." His thoughts left the search and went to what Math had said earlier.

"I'm happy for him," Robin smiled. Earlier, he had told his team that Pyrrha had said yes and they were now an official couple. Needless to say, Pyrrha's teammates and Team RWBY found out and congratulated the new couple, much to their embarrassment. Fear struck Math when Nora threatened to break Math's legs if he broke Pyrrha's heart, but he assured her he had no intent of doing so.

"Well, it's been a long day and I deserve a good, long shower," Robin smirked as he finally reached the showers and looked around. No one else was in here, meaning he could choose whichever one he wanted. He walked over to one in the corner and placed his towel on the rack outside the curtain.

He walked over to a mirror and took off his tie, coat and shirt. He then smirked, admiring his toned body and winking at the mirror.

"Man, I look good~" he chuckled. He walked over to the shower stall and turned on the water for the shower.

WHAM!

A blunt force hit him in the back of the head, causing his Aura to shimmer from the impact. He fell down onto the shower floor under the running water. Despite the pain in his head, he managed to recover to see a person exactly like Velvet had described. He was wearing all black clothing, only his golden eyes exposed and wearing the 'D' necklace.

Before Robin could ask, the attacker lifted up a pipe he was using and tried to slam it into his head. Luckily, the archer kicked him back and got onto his feet. The attacker swung the pipe at his head, but Robin jumped over him and landed behind him. Just as he turned around, Fire Dust was thrown into his eyes, making him give out a loud shout of pain. This left vulnerable to the attacker as he hit his leg and then his head, making him fall onto the floor.

Robin felt the attacker delivered impact after impact on him wherever he was struck. His Aura was quickly depleted and was now left open to serious injury.

"You'll pay for my suspension!" the attacker shouted.

Robin caught onto something; it didn't sound like Gaspar at all. He kicked the attacker away and had a quick moment to use his Semblance. There was no voice changer, no technology on him that could change how he sounded.

"You're not Gaspar!" he called out.

"Yes, I am!" the attacker claimed. "You got me suspended. Now, you're going to pay!" Just then, the door burst open and Ruo appeared, having heard the noise. He saw the grisly sight of his teammate badly brutalized by the attacker in all black.

"So you're the one responsible," the White Tiger snarled.

"Filthy Faunus!" the attacker shouted as he charged at him. Ruo quickly disarmed the attacker and threw him into the lockers, crashing with a loud bang and landing onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Why are you doing this?" Ruo demanded to know. "You could've killed Jaune and Velvet!"

"Who cares about some blonde kid and a worthless Faunus?" the attacker growled as he threw punches at Ruo, but easily dodged or blocked them. One punch, Ruo grabbed his arm and gave a brutal slash to his stomach. The Faunus then saw his Aura shimmer and knew right away it wasn't Gaspar.

"You're not Gaspar!" Ruo called out. "If you were, your Aura would be gold, not a light tan!"

"Shut up!" the attacker shouted once more. He rushed and grabbed Ruo's torso, trying to push him into the lockers. The Faunus grabbed the back of his shirt and kneed him in the chest and stomach several times until he was forced to let go. The attacker pushed Ruo aside and made a break for the door. Luckily, he couldn't escape as Robin used the last of his strength to shut the door, trapping the attacker.

Ruo grabbed his arm and pounded him into the lockers. The White Tiger Faunus grabbed his hood and tore it off to reveal the attacker's identity. To his absolute shock, it was not who he suspected.

"Linen Douglas?" he gasped. It was not Gaspar at all. Instead, it was the same teammate who he had initially blamed for getting suspended. He tried to attack again, but Ruo stopped him and knocked him unconscious. He took out his scroll and dialed Ozpin and Math, informing them of what happened. In a few minutes, Math and Ozpin, along with Ruby, who had joined Math, arrived.

"Robin!" Math gasped, helping him to stand. "How bad are you feeling?"

"I'll be fine, thanks to Ruo," Robin answered. Ruby grabbed his other arm, put on her shoulders and helped Robin walk out of the shower room.

"Should we get his clothes?" the scythe wielder asked.

"Don't worry," Robin smirked. "At least I can give Coco the sight of my toned body."

"Oh, for the love of Gods…" Math moaned.

"So," Ozpin started. "He's the one responsible for this. When he wakes up, I'm going to have a word with him."

-0-

"So it wasn't Gaspar," Pyrrha gasped as she was in Ozpin's office with Math, Gaspar, and Ruby along with Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Linen. She looked at the Dorado and her face showed all her regret for blaming Gaspar earlier today.

"What did you hope to accomplish by nearly killing Mr. Arc and beating Ms. Scarlatina and Mr. Kendrick?" Goodwitch demanded to know.

"Gaspar doesn't deserve to be here," he answered. "Ever since he came here, I lived under his thumb, being treated like crap every day and you never did anything about it!"

The Fire Dust that had been left behind, the contacts that were used to make his eyes a golden color, the necklace, being reckless with evidence…Ozpin figured it all out.

"So you were trying to frame Mr. Dorado, correct?" Ozpin questioned.

"He doesn't deserve to be here," Linen shouted. "I honestly thought you'd never let him come back after everything he did to everyone he hurt!"

"What about those you hurt?" Goodwitch questioned. "Mr. Arc could've died. Ms. Scarlatina was beaten so bad that she lost consciousness. Mr. Kendrick nearly lost consciousness as well if it wasn't for Mr. Bai Hu's intervention."

"It's your fault!" Linen shouted, rising from his seat. Ozpin narrowed his eyes at the student, giving him a warning not to challenge him.

"How is it my fault?" Ozpin questioned, having a much sterner tone in contrast to his usual gentle and father-like one.

"If you were as smart as you claimed you are, you never would've let Gaspar back into Beacon!" Linen accused. "Did you forget why he was suspended in the first place? He attacked me!"

"And I'm sorry for that!" Gaspar apologized. "I realize what I did was wrong. I know you're angry at me, but-"

"Shut up!" Linen snarled. "You haven't changed at all. You're still the same selfish, arrogant brat who made my life hell ever since he first came here! You hurt so many people!"

"And you nearly killed someone!" Goodwitch called out. "Mr. Dorado's behavior was indeed unacceptable, I agree, but that does not justify what you did to those students."

"Well, I wouldn't have had to if you didn't let him back in the first place!" Linen claimed. "You made me do this! You made me hurt those students!"

"That's enough!" Ozpin barked, rising from his seat. He immediately managed to switch from his angered scowl to calm and collected.

"Mr. Dorado's behavior in the past was unacceptable and I should've done something about it sooner," the Headmaster admitted. "However, I truly believe Gaspar is willing to turn things around, to make things better. No matter what he did in the past, that doesn't give you the right to hurt those students so you could frame him."

"Are you blind?!" Linen shouted again. "He hasn't changed at all. He doesn't deserve to be a Huntsman. Why does he get off scot free?"

"Because he didn't cross the line you did!" Goodwitch sternly responded. "Gaspar attacked you, true. But you crossed a line when you tried to kill Mr. Arc and then Ms. Scarlatina and Mr. Kendrick."  
"I didn't try to kill Jaune!" Linen claimed.

"What?" Math shouted angrily, getting into Linen's face. "You honestly expect us to believe that? You threw him from the 4th floor to the ground floor. You knew that if his Aura hadn't been active, it would've killed him."

"Mr. Kendrick!" Goodwitch called. "Please, let us handle this." Math breathed heavily before moving away from Linen.

"Unfortunately, he's right," Ozpin agreed. "This looked like an attempted murder."

"I wasn't trying to kill Jaune," Linen claimed. "I promise, I didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter what you meant to do!" Goodwitch interrupted. "No matter what it was you were planning, you nearly caused a death on campus." Linen was shut to silence.

"Linen, I know who I was and I am truly sorry I acted the way I did," Gaspar apologized. "I was selfish and arrogant and I acted like the King of Vale! I mistreated a lot of people and I'll get my just desserts one day, if that makes a difference."

"You're such a liar," Linen chuckled. "You're just saying all these things so everyone will think you've changed. Trust me, you'll do far worse than what I did." Gaspar looked sternly at his teammate who tried to frame him.

"No…I won't," he replied, no stutter at all. "I will learn from my actions and become a better person. If you don't believe me, fine."

"That's good, because I don't," Linen admitted. The elevator beeped twice and two VSU officers walked in.

"Is this the young man?" he asked Ozpin, pointing at Linen. The Headmaster confirmed it with a nod of his head.

"What's going on?" Linen asked, frightened of what was happening.

"Linen Douglas, you are under arrest for aggravated assault and battery," one of the officers informed as he took his hands and put cuffs on them.

"You're lucky Mr. Arc didn't die, otherwise you'd also be charged with manslaughter or murder," Ozpin brought up. "With this arrest, you're officially expelled from Beacon Academy."

"You can't do this to me!" Linen cried as the police took him to the elevator…or dragged him since he was resisting. "Gaspar should be in these cuffs, not me!"

"Come on!" the officer demanded as he led Linen away. The two officers took Linen into the elevator and closed the door behind them. Ozpin sighed after the elevator dinged.

"Such a waste," he contemplated. "He seemed like a good student. I wish this hadn't happened, but I have no choice. He crossed a line that I cannot simply ignore."

"So, are the teams going to be informed?" Math asked.

"They will," Goodwitch answered. "Now go and get some sleep. It's late." The four students walked to the elevator and pushed the button to go down.

"Gaspar," Pyrrha addressed. "I'm sorry for the way I acted. I shouldn't have accused you like that."

"Thank you," he replied. "Does this mean you believe that I've changed?" Pyrrha smiled and nodded her head. Suddenly, the elevator stopped, opened the door and closed.

"Huh?" Math wondered. He looked over to the panel and saw Ruby pressing all the buttons.

"What are you doing?" Math asked as he stopped her.

"I don't know how this elevator works," Ruby complained. "None of these buttons have words on them."

"Stop pushing all of them!" Math scolded as he tried to pull Ruby away from the panel, but she kept pressing all of them anyway. The door kept closing and opening over and over again. Pyrrha giggled over Math's and Ruby's banter while Gaspar facepalmed.

"I already pressed the button!" Math shouted, pressing the same one from before.

"Then why aren't we at the bottom yet?" Ruby questioned.

"Are you seriously asking that?" Math asked in disbelief. "We'd be out of the elevator by now if you'd stop pressing all the buttons." The two of them continued fighting until they reached the bottom of the tower and Ruby fell on top of Math, landing at Yang's feet.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she helped Ruby off Mathdon, ignoring him.

"Oh, I'm fine," the swordsman sarcastically answered as he got up with help from Pyrrha.

"I'm sorry," the redhead apologized. Math simply wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss. There were several 'ooo's from the friends gathered. As soon as Math broke off, Pyrrha blushed madly with a big smile and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get down," Ruby apologized. "Someone hit all the buttons on the way down…Math did it."

"What?" Math gasped. "It was Ruby! You said 'these buttons don't have any words on them', so you pressed them all!"

"It's been a long day," Nasser spoke. "Can we please just go to bed?"

"Sure," Math answered. "As soon as Ruby admits it was her!"

"No, I didn't!" Ruby denied.

"Yes, you did!" Math shot back. A lot of "yes, you did"s and "no, I didn't"s were heard as the group walked back to their dorms.


	20. New Friend, New Enemy

**RWBY: MRRN**

 **VOLUME 1, CHAPTER 20: New Friend, New Enemy**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.**

"So it was Linen?" Coco asked for clarification from Math in the room where Robin was recovering from the assault last night.

"Yeah," he answered. "He was very angry about Gaspar attacking him before his suspension. He didn't take it well when he heard that he was coming back, so he was the one responsible."

"He was being reckless with evidence because he wanted to make it look like Gaspar was behind the beatings," Robin informed. "He wanted to frame him to get him expelled or arrested." Coco sighed, remembering the condition her best friend is in. He had brutalized her simply because he wanted to get rid of someone.

"How did you find out it wasn't him?" Yatsu asked, sitting on a chair next to a standing Fox.

"Well, I noticed his voice sounded different," Robin informed. "I used my Semblance to look for any kind of device that could've altered how he sounded. I didn't find one, so that gave something away."

"What sealed it was when Ruo dealt a punch to his Aura," Math brought up. "When his Aura shimmered, it was light tan, not gold. Everyone who knows him knows that Gaspar's Aura is gold."

"So Linen brutalized my teammate just to get rid of Gaspar?" Coco asked in disbelief.

"It's not that simple," Gaspar spoke, appearing at the door. Despite his innocence being proven, Team CFVY was still being a bit wary around him. They weren't going to be hostile, but they were keeping their guard up.

"Linen had every right to be angry at me," the Dorado spoke. "I treated him horribly every day before my suspension, so of course he'd want to get rid of me."

"That doesn't justify what he did," Robin insisted. "He's old enough to know he needs to be held responsible for his own actions. No one forced him to do what he did; he knew what he was doing and he didn't care. All he cared about was framing you."

"Well, how are Jaune and Velvet doing?" Gaspar asked.

"Jaune's woken up, but he's been asked to stay in the medical wing for another day to make sure he's good to go," Math informed. "As for Velvet and Robin, they'll recover."

"Yeah," Robin agreed, before turning his head and smirking at Coco, knowing she had seen his torso. "Liked what you saw~?"

"I've seen better," Coco teased, bruising the archer's ego. Math chuckled while turning his head to look at Gaspar, but he was gone. The swordsman got up to go find him, but didn't see him, so he assumed he wanted to be left alone and started walking back to his dorm.

Just his luck, he walked into Pyrrha, who he quickly greeted with a warm hug and a soft but passionate kiss on her lips.

"Hey, Pyrrha," he greeted.

"Hi," she replied. "I'm glad Jaune's going to be fine."

"Same here," Math agreed. The redhead looked away from her boyfriend, her face turning a bright shade of red.

"Pyrrha, are you going to blush every time I give you a kiss?" he asked in a playful manner. "You're going to have to get used to it because I'm not afraid to show my affection to my girlfriend." She giggled, but she then looked at him with a more solemn scowl.

"Math, there's something I wanted to talk about," she admitted.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well, first, can we find somewhere to sit down?" she asked. Math smiled and nodded his head in agreement. They walked to the lounging area and sat on the couch, looking at each other.

Pyrrha was being quiet. Math couldn't tell what she was going to talk about, but she wanted to get it off her chest.

"You don't have to be eloquent, Pyrrha," he assured, hoping to make her feel more comfortable.

"That's not it, Math," she replied. "The reason I was…hesitant to be in a relationship with you was..." She paused.

"Please don't mistake me, Math. I love you and I'm glad we're together…but, the reason I needed time was…I didn't feel like I could be a good girlfriend to you." Math raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'not be a good girlfriend'?" Math asked. "If you mean 'be the perfect girlfriend', don't think that. It'd be unfair of me to expect that of you."

Pyrrha's eyes shined after hearing those words. All her life, people saw her as 'perfect'…and some of them expected her to be. She had to be the perfect fighter, the perfect student…and the perfect person.

Math didn't expect her to be perfect. It felt like so much relief to hear that from someone who was not in her family.

"Thank you, Math darling," she replied.

"Darling?" he asked.

"You're going to get have to get used to it," Pyrrha teased. "I'm not afraid to show my affection to my boyfriend."

"Touché," Math responded. Pyrrha giggled again before she turned serious again.

"Math…I was uncertain of whether I could be a good girlfriend because I've never been in an intimate relationship before," she got out. "I'm not always the best around people and I don't have any relationship experience."

"Well, neither do I," Math confessed. "To be blunt, I've liked my fair share of girls, but I've never been in a relationship before either. But that doesn't mean we won't be good enough. It just means…we're beginners."

"Beginners?" Pyrrha asked, a laugh escaping her lips.

"Well…yeah," Math replied with a sheepish look. He chuckled before taking Pyrrha's hand in his.

"Pyrrha, we may not be the most experienced when it comes to romantic relationships, but I want to try," he stated, his eyes looking hers, showing his sincerity. "I want to give this a try. It won't be perfect, but who says it has to be?"

"I just wanted to be the girlfriend you deserved," she spoke, her voice gentle like a small stream. "Until my time here in Beacon, I never had a true relationship with anyone outside of my family. Everyone either saw me as a celebrity, a perfect role model, or whatever they wanted me to be."

"Well, I'm not them," Math assured. "I don't expect you to be perfect and I won't."

Pyrrha blushed heavily, having a fuzzy feeling in her stomach and her heartbeat easily felt. Hearing that a second time was much better than the first.

"Thank you," she said with immense gratitude in her voice. "Whatever conflicts and challenges we meet, I'll do my best to make this relationship work."

"That makes two of us," Math agreed. The redhead grabbed Mathdon's face and brought his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, but full of passion, so he returned the favor. Again, the need for air became too much and they broke off.

"I'm glad I told this," the redhead said, snuggling into Math's shoulder. "Do you mind if we just cuddle?"

"Sure," Math responded, a bright red blush on his face. He slowly laid down on his back so Pyrrha could crawl on top of him and rest her head on his chest.

"Math?" Pyrrha softly spoke. "I can hear your heartbeat." She giggled at how fast it was going again.

The autistic swordsman never thought he'd be here; at Beacon, the leader of a team, or cuddling with a beautiful young woman…he never thought he'd be here. He thought, even with the training from Glaucus Viisaus and Forest Kotka, he never thought he would be in this position; he was…and he enjoyed it. Before he knew it, he heard a rhythmic sound coming from Pyrrha in the form of a soft snore.

"Love you, beautiful," Math whispered, wrapping one of his arms around her.

-0-

It was around evening. Gaspar swung his rapier, Conquistador, once more against the practice bots, practicing his swordsmanship since he thought his skills had gotten a little rusty. He swiftly slashed through one bot, then another and finished a third one with a stab through the torso. One of them slashed at him with a blade, but he deflected it with a diagonal parry of his sword and sliced its torso from its legs.

"You've certainly improved," Ruo spoke, startling the Dorado. The Faunus member of Team MRRN stood on the outside of the training area with a scowl of approval towards Gaspar.

"Thanks," he replied. "I felt my swordsmanship was getting rusty."

"That's not the only thing I'm talking about," Ruo replied. The Dorado raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"When you first got here, I thought we'd be enemies throughout our four years here," the martial artist bluntly told. "But now…now that you've shaped up, you seem like a decent person."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Gaspar responded. "Though it's going to take a while for everyone to trust me."

"Work towards it and many of the people here may be willing to accept you," Ruo stated. "Unfortunately, there will be those who won't believe your change…like Linen."

"Well, the people that are willing to believe me, I'll do what I have to," Gaspar insisted. For a small time, there was quiet between the two of them, which was broken by Ruo-Jian.

"I need to apologize," he replied.

"What for?" Gaspar asked, curious about what the Faunus would have to apologize for.

"When you first came back, I was convinced that your new behavior was just a façade so you could get back at everyone who you blamed for your suspension," Ruo informed. "I was one of those who weren't willing to give you a chance at first; I was ready to point the finger at you for the beatings. For that, I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize," Gaspar insisted. "When we first met, I insulted you, mistreated you and even stereotyped you. I…I'm sorry." He stopped and paused for a moment.

"Well, for one thing, you cannot change the past," Ruo stated. "However, that shouldn't stop you from getting better in the future. Don't forget the past, but don't let it determine where you go."

"Thanks," Gaspar replied with a smile. "How is Robin doing?"

"He's doing better," Ruo informed. "Luckily, his Aura is healing his injuries, so he'll be back fighting in no time. Are you managing to patch things up with your teammates?"

"Orchid is still a little cautious around me, but I think she's warming up," Gaspar answered. "Luke didn't take Linen's arrest very well. They were good friends and he refused to believe he would do something like this. He tried to convince Ozpin it was me until he showed him a recording of Linen's confession on his scroll. He's still pretty mad, but he's not blaming me anymore."

"So you're on your way," Ruo concluded. "It'll take a while, but it can be done as long as you don't fall into your old ways."

"Trust me, I won't," Gaspar assured. "So what about you and Yang?"

"What about us?" the Faunus asked.

"Are you two dating?" the Dorado asked. Ruo shook his head.

"I don't know why Yang would be interested in me," he said. "I mean, we hang out sometimes, but it's never anything romantic."

"You never know," Gaspar replied. "Why not give her a chance? Maybe she'll be the kind of girl you'll like."

"To be honest, I'm not interested in dating," Ruo claimed. "Yang seems more interested in having fun than doing her studies when necessary. I just think if we did date, we would drive each other insane."

"Or maybe it'd help you both," Gaspar suggested. "Sometimes, opposites attract. You and Yang seem like opposites, but not to the point where it'd be impossible."

"I'm not interested in dating," Ruo stated once more. "Maybe down the line, I will, but not right now."

"Well, I could use a training partner," Gaspar offered, prepping his rapier. "Care to help?"

"If you insist," Ruo smiled, walking into the training area and preparing Huzhao. Gaspar charged at the White Tiger. The martial artist blocked the blade with a cross of his arms and pushed back, but Gaspar quickly recovered.

The Dorado unleashed a barrage of slashes and stabs at the White Tiger, who either dodged or deflected the attacks. After deflecting once more, Ruo delivered a powerful double punch to his torso, knocking him onto the ground. The Faunus lunged, his clawed gauntlets prepared to strike Gaspar down; what happened next took him by surprise.

Gaspar was gone in a flash of light. He managed to recover his sword and gold light flashed again; this time, Gaspar was right in front of Ruo. He slashes several times at the martial artist, narrowly missing again and again.

"What is that?" Ruo asked, deflecting one of the strikes. "Is that your Semblance?"

"I didn't use it earlier because…I hadn't discovered it yet," Gaspar admitted. "It's called Gold Rush. It allows me to move in short bursts of superhuman speed."

"So you never knew your Semblance until after your suspension?" Ruo asked. Gaspar sighed.

"Yes, and I hated it," the Dorado admitted again.

"So do you have much experience with it?" Ruo asked.

"No," Gaspar answered.

"Then we can help you with that," the White Tiger assured with a warm smile. Gaspar and Ruo-Jian's match lasted for several minutes until the White Tiger started to breathe heavily.

"Are you alright?" the Dorado asked.

"My stamina doesn't last as long as it should," Ruo admitted through breaths. "Good match, though."

"Thanks," Gaspar replied, sheathing Conquistador.

"Well, it's getting late," Ruo informed. "I'm going to get back to my dorm. What about you?"

"I'm going to stay for a little longer," Gaspar answered. "I'm going to do a few more training exercises before I turn in for the night."

"Alright," Ruo responded. He started walking towards the entrance, his thoughts occupied by Gaspar's new personality. He stopped and turned around, watching the Dorado use his Semblance on the bots.

" _While he was certainly a prick at first, I think he's genuinely wanting to make things better,"_ Ruo thought to himself with a smile. _"If this is how he plans to go now, then he can count on my help."_ He walked out of the training area with a smile of approval on his face.

-0-

"Hey, mom," Nasser called on his scroll on a bench outside.

" _Hi, Nasser,"_ she replied very warmly. _"How's your time at Beacon going?"_

"It's been…rough at the start, but I like to think things are turning around. I'm getting along better with my teammates and…I was a bit of a jerk."

" _What do you mean?"_ his mom asked.

"Well, to be specific, this is AFTER I got on better with my teammates," Nasser specified, knowing that his mom knew about how he had acted earlier. "A bully we hated came back a short while ago. When beatings started happening around the school, I immediately thought it was him. Turns out it wasn't."

" _Nasser, you need to stop this behavior overall,"_ his mom insisted. _"I know things have been hard for us, but that doesn't mean you get to be mean towards people."_

"I know, Mom," Nasser replied with an annoyed tone. "How's Ezther?"

" _She's doing very well,"_ his mom replied. _"In a few more years, she'll be old enough to enroll in one of the local Huntsman Academies."_

"Make sure she doesn't go to Aurum," Nasser warned. "One of my teammates went there and it was the worst."

" _I'll make sure of that,"_ his mom assured. _"She's actually asleep right now. Ahe has a big test tomorrow."_

"Well, just make sure you tell her I said hi," Nasser asked. "I don't want her thinking I've forgotten about her."

" _Ezther knows you could never forget her,"_ his mom assured. _"Well, I hope you have a good night."_

"You too, mom," Nasser replied, hanging up his scroll.

"Lovely night, isn't it?" Ozpin asked, starling the knife wielder.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a habit of popping out of nowhere?" Nasser asked.

"A few people have," Ozpin answered. "I like to think I'm simply at the right place at the right time."

"What is it?" Nasser asked.

"I wanted to come tell you that I'm proud of the progress you made," the Headmaster replied. "When you first came here, you were prideful, wouldn't accept criticism and unwilling to rely on your teammates when needed. You were very close to failing this semester." Nasser sighed in embarrassment to Ozpin's words of criticism.

"That makes your improvement much more impressive," the Headmaster continued. "I've seen your grades improve. You're becoming more cooperative with your teammates. But I'm curious."

"About?" Nasser questioned.

"What made you change?" Ozpin asked. Nasser was quiet for a while. The Headmaster already knew about his past with his brother and father, about he had been the only one he could rely on ever since what happened during those two events. He didn't know if he knew about Robin and Ruo's past, so he couldn't bring them up.

"I just realized I wasn't the only one with a crap life," he answered. "They've all been through shit like me."

"Well, that's good to know," Ozpin responded. "I wish you the best. Continue on improving and you will become a veteran Huntsman much faster than you realize."

"And then get my family out of poverty," Nasser brought up.

"Yes," Ozpin agreed as he turned around to walk away. "Oh, two more things." Nasser raised an eyebrow.

"First, watch your language, especially around your professors." Nasser exhaled in annoyance.

"Second, if your friends in Vacuo are enrolled in Shade Academy, then they'll most likely come here for the Vytal Tournament. I'd say take the opportunity to catch up with them when you can." With that, Ozpin walked off towards Beacon Tower.

Nasser thought to himself about what Ozpin said…the second thing, anyway.

It had been nearly eight years since he had seen his friends in Vacuo. He hadn't been able to contact them ever since he had left because he didn't have a scroll at the time and was unable to pick up their numbers. He had tried going to the CCT several times, but none of them were there on the other end of the line.

"Who uses the CCT anyway?" Nasser thought to himself. The one person coming he worried about was the girl he had been sweet on during his time in Vacuo.

Outside of combat, she was usually a very kind and caring person; a bit temperamental at times, but good-hearted. When she started fighting, she immediately became aggressive and enjoyed the thrill and adrenaline of battle. Her fighting style was similar to Robins; very quick, but not very durable. Land several hits on her and she's out.

"No doubt she'd want to be a Huntress," the knife wielder thought to himself. If she was in Shade and came to the Vytal Festival, what would his reaction be? He knew he'd be happy to see her, but there had to be more than just that. He hadn't seen her in years and had no idea how she had changed.

His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. There were so many possibilities and he felt unprepared for all of them, except if she didn't show up.

"Well, Math has a girlfriend now, so if she comes and I want to…well, he'll be able to help me, I hope," Nasser concluded. "Well, let's just see how things go, huh?" With that, Nasser started walking towards the dorm building to turn in for the night.

-0-

In Vale, Roman walked into a warehouse where the White Fang were organizing the Dust they had managed to steal ever since the Dock plan failed.

"Why, hello Roman," a very smooth voice spoke. He turned around to see a beautiful young woman with soft black hair, amber eyes and wore a red and yellow dress with glass heels. She was accompanied by her two associates; one was a girl with tanned skin, green hair and red eyes while the other was a guy with silver-gray hair and gray eyes. He recognized them as Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black.

"Didn't expect to see you soon," Roman replied. "Haven't seen you much ever since what happened at the Docks."

"Is everything going according to plan?" Cinder asked.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's going fine," Roman answered. "You mind going ahead and telling me your whole 'master plan'? I'm working in the dark here, so shedding a little bit of light could help."

"We're on a need-to-know basis," Cinder answered. "For now, all we need from you is to do what we say."

"What about the Huntsmen?" Roman asked. "They've been getting on my ass ever since the Docks. It's making harder for my robberies to go smoothly. The police, I can handle; I've done so for years, but the Huntsmen-"

"The Huntsmen won't be a problem for long," Cinder informed. "I have someone who can take care of them so they can't get in our way."

"Oh, exciting," Roman sarcastically replied. "What, you got an anti-Huntsmen weapon or something?"

"In a way," Cinder replied. From behind the three of them, dark red eyes appeared out of the darkness. Roman raised an eyebrow in confusion until they started to move. The eyes belonged to a person around 6'5, but he couldn't see his face as it was covered with an iron helmet and black hood. The rest of his attire included iron armor on his shoulders, forearms and legs along with a black robe connected to the hood. His weapon was a long katana, like an odachi, on his belt.

What startled Roman was the sight of smeared red blood on all parts of his armor, the most of which was on his helmet. Roman didn't know whose blood it was, but he wasn't going to ask.

"You know that's unsanitary, right?" the crime lord commented, but was met with no reply from the armored fighter. He simply crossed his arms and glared at the crime lord.

"Meet Nachtfel," Cinder introduced. "He'll take care of the Huntsmen…because there's nothing else he'd rather do."

 **That concludes Volume 1! Thank you all for reading this RWBY Fanfic and I hope you enjoyed the characters of Team MRRN. If you have any constructive criticism on what I can do to improve the future volumes, then please let me know. I'll be making Volume 2 soon (which will be a separate book), so the adventures of Team MRRN aren't over yet. Enjoy reading, my fellow Fanfiction users!**

 **Author's Note: I just added a poll on my profile to vote for your favorite member of Team MRRN. If you wish to vote, then click on my username in the top left when your screen opens.**


	21. Volume 2 Notice

**Author's Note:**

 **Volume 2 has been officially uploaded! The adventures of Team MRRN continues! For those of you who don't know, it will be a different book. Access my profile page to continue reading.**

 **Also, I made a poll on my profile that will allow you to vote for your favorite MRRN member should you want to. I hope you continue to enjoy reading my Fanfics!**


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